AA Auctions Ltd

Pot Lid:   'BEARS AT SCHOOL'

Description:  A characterful Prattware pot lid depicting a somewhat harsh teaching lesson at school and featuring young bears as the title would suggest. Particularly good print quality. Variation incorporating flattened foliage and willow trees in background. Lined and dotted border in yellow. 

** Invaluable help and support has been provided to these pot lid listings by the authors of the fabulous forthcoming book: 'Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids' by Houghton, Layden & Taylor - Order your copy soon! **

Era:  c1860-70's

Diameter:  80mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Great condition with just a small (4mm) shallow flake on the very back edge, a pretty insignicant fleabite in the same position (about 2cm away), three or four tiny glaze-rubs on the back rim edge (hardly worth mentioning as barely visible) and a minor in-manufacture very small crease in the clay on the back rim 

Grade :  8.7        Estimate:   £30-50     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'BEAR, LION & COCK'

Description:  Another bear-related Prattware pot lid this time relating to the Crimean war with the bear representing Britain, the bear Russia and cock France. Particularly good print quality. Yellow dotted border. Earlier variation with spire in background. 

Era:  c1860-70's

Diameter:  80mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Superb condition with just a totally insignificant (3mm) very shallow flake on the very back of the rim and a small very light and minor glaze-rub on the outer edhe of the rim (that could even be in-manufacture) and is otherwise excellent 

Grade :  8.9        Estimate:   £30-50     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'NICELY SCENTED, RUSSIAN BEARS GREASE'

Description:  A striking bears grease lid featuring a dark standing bear carrying a sash. Lovely smaller 3" size. Decorative border. Detailed print

Era:  c1850-70's

Diameter:  74mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair/good   Generally good condition with just a medium (5mm x 20mm) chip/chunk off the inside of the back rim (which only shows 3mm x 7mm from the side view anyway along with a 12mm hairline on the side wall emanating from the chip) and apart from 3 tiny fleabites/bruises also on the inside back rim (barely worth mentioning) is otherwise excellent 

Grade :  6.5        Estimate:   £100-150     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'BEARS ON ROCK'

Description:  Another multicoloured bears grease lid this time from the T.J.& J. Mayer factory and featuring two brown bears in their natural habitat. Single line border.  Excellent quality print. Small black-printed 'cross & dots' mark to underside.

Era:  c1850-70's

Diameter:  74mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent   Superb condition with just a small in-manufacture depression on the rim edge (very small glazed-over chip) and a tiny barely visible flea-bite on the back rim edge and some light and fine crazing (mainly on the underside)

Grade :  9.6        Estimate:   £30-50     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'BEAR PIT'

Description:  Another multicoloured lid with a bear theme this time from the Pratt factory in Stafforshire. This being the earlier variation without the dome to the left and the lady to the right with a yellow dress. More unusual black wavy line with wider white border. 

Era:  c1850-70's

Diameter:  85mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Good   Great condition with just a very small (1-2mm) light glaze rub on the wavy border (at around 6 o'clock) and one or two very minor in-manufacture marks/fine crazing in the glaze (mainly on the underside) which in no way detract

Grade :  7.8        Estimate:   £30-50     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'JOHN GOSNELL & CO' BEARS GREASE

Description:  A very appealing early blue print lid featuring a standing bear from this famous chemist in London (and Paris). Very characterful bear. Beaded line sandwiched between two single line borders. Scarce

Era:  c1850-70's

Diameter:  69mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair/Good   As dug, so has some old chips/chipping in areas on the very back rim (as per extensive photos) but at around 90% of the rim is perfect as is the all important face 

Grade :  6.4        Estimate:   £150-200     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'FAWCETT & SON' RUSSIAN BEARS GREASE

Description:  Another appealing early bears grease lid this time featuring a standing bear carrying a sash. Detailed print. Fancy border. Comes with original base it was found with

'Fawcett & Son' now believed to eminate from the Lake District area (NW England) and not London as previously believed 

Era:  c1850-70's

Diameter:  68mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  LID: Good   Just a very small (2mm x 4mm) flake/chip on the underside of the outer rim (at around 2 o'clock and barely visible) and the odd tiny bruise on the bottom rim edge and outer edge (hardly worth mentioning) / BASE: Just has some top/inner rim chipping (that barely show when lid on top) and otherwise very good 

Grade :  7.5  (Lid)     Estimate:   £150-200     Reserve:     N/R

7th Jan (11am) - Amendment made re condition report

Pot Lid:    HUNTING BEAR

Description:  Another scarce early bears grease lid this time a small 2.5" blue print example featuring a standing bear being attacked by uniformed men with sticks and a solitary dog. Detailed print. Fancy beaded border. 

Era:  c1850-70's

Diameter:  61mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Repaired   Just has a repair to about one sixth of the back flange (roughly 3cm) which looks to have been a shallow but long chip on the very bottom rim. This has been repaired to the highest standard and is hardly noticeable

Grade :  Ungraded       Estimate:   £250-300     Reserve:     £250

Pot Lid:    'JAMES ATKINSON'S' BEARS GREASE

Description:  A classic bears grease lid featuring a bear in chains. The smaller 2/6 version. Superb quality print. Fancy herringbone border. 

Era:  c1870-90's

Diameter:  62mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Excellent   Just the tiniest of pin-head fleabites on the bottom edge (barely visible and hardly worth mentioning) and is otherwise mint

Grade :  9.6       Estimate:   £40-60     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'ED PINAUD, PARIS' / VERITABLE GRAISSE D'OURS'

Description:  A fabulous pictorial pot lid (text translated from French as 'Real Bears Grease') featuring a single bear in its natural habitat with mountains and pine trees in the background. Comes with blue print base also featuring bears (although unsure as to whether this is the matching one?) either way it fits perfectly and look great together! 

Era:  c1860-80's

Diameter:  72mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  LID: Good   Just has a very small shallow flake on the outer edge near the border (at around 4 o'clock) and a tiny in-manufacture chip on the very bottom edge is mostly glazed over / BASE: Mint

Grade :  7.2 (Lid) / 9.9 (Base)      Estimate:   £80-100     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'HOBSON, GRANGE'

Description:  An appealing square'Lakeland Blossoms' tooth paste pot lid from this small town in the Lake District area of Morecambe Bay, Cumbria (NW England) which is also known as 'Grange-Over-Sands'. Attractive layout. Scarce. Comes with a free well-matched base 

Era:  c1880-1900's

Dimensions:  60mm square 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  LID: Fair   Looks to be in great order, but if you look carefully you can see that a smallish (29mm x 14mm) section on the side has come out and been re-glued, otherwise excellent / BASE: Mint

Grade :  4.5 (Lid) / 9.9 (Base)      Estimate:   £30-50     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'BELLAMY & WAKEFIELD, BIRMINGHAM'

Description:  An attractive pot lid from this large West Midlands city. Pleasing layout. Decorative border. Great quality print

Era:  c1890-1900's

Diameter:  67mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent   Superb condition with just a tiny fleabite flake on the very bottom of the rim (barely noticeable) and some light overall crazing (which if anything ads to the appeal) and is otherwise mint

Grade :    9.6       Estimate:   £30-50     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'THE GRAND INTERNATIONAL BUILDING OF 1851'

Description:  A very large (5.25") and mightily impressive early Prattware pot lid in great detail and colour. Superb quality print. 

Listed as 'rare' in Mortimer's updated multicoloured Pot Lid book

Era:  c1851-1860's

Diameter:  130mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair   Has one large (4.4cm x 1cm) and one small (2cm x 0.7cm) chip/chunk off the very back rim that have been poorly repaired, two small (2cm) hairlines on the sides and one or two tiny nibbles on the very back rim (barely visible). Saying that it looks very impressive on display and no damage at all to the face

Grade :    4.7       Estimate:   £50-70     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'WILLIAM LEE, CASTLE NORTHWICH'

Description:  A scarce 'White Cherry' tooth paste pot lid from this small Cheshire parish (19 miles south of Manchester). Plain white border. Rarely seen for sale

Castle Northwich became part of Northwich in 1894

Era:  c1880's-1894

Diameter:  72mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Good   Just has a small hairline bruise on the very back rim, a very small (3mm) shallow chip on the back rim edge and two or three pretty insignificant tiny flakes also on the back rim (as per many photos) and apart from some very subtle rust stain in places (barely noticeable and may clean out with rust remover anyway) is otherwise excellent 

Grade :    7.7       Estimate:   £30-50     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'J.J. FROWDE, DOUGLAS'

Description:  A unique square 'Fragrant Manx' tooth paste pot lid from this capital town on the Isle of Man. Pleasing overall design. Great quality print. Comes with a free base which matches/fits very well but isn't the original. Don't miss this one!

Confirmed a one-off and will appear in the new pot lid book as below

** Invaluable help and support has been provided to these listings by the authors of the fabulous forthcoming book: 'Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids' by Houghton, Layden & Taylor - Order your copy soon! **

Era:  c1890-1900's

Dimensions:    63 mm square

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  LID: Mint   Superb undamaged mint condition! / BASE: Mint Undamaged condition with just the odd light rust glaze crazing

Grade :    9.8 (Lid)       Estimate:   £50-80     Reserve:    N/R