Vintage Cornish Ware: A Personal Favorite

Vintage Sifter Set

Cornish Ware is an English ceramic made by the pottery T.G. Green, beginning in the 1930s.  The first product was striped in blue and white, with yellow and white striped pieces introduced in the 1960s, and other colorways thereafter.  Each piece was molded then lathe-turned to raise the blue stripes above the white.  This distinguished Cornish Ware from other blue and white striped ceramics and pottery, a pleasing, classic color combination.  After the successful marketing of a limited number of pieces T.G. Green regularly brought out new shapes of teacups, teapots, coffee mugs (or cans), and coffee pots, as well as labeled storage jars for a plethora of food products.  They made a variety of salt and pepper shakers as well as a condiment set that included a small covered pot for mustard.  Their large salt, pepper, flour and sugar shakers, called sifters, were meant for kitchen use and were sold in sets.  The line was hugely successful so a great many pieces were made and can still be found, in England, Canada and the US.  I prefer the shapes of the vintage pieces, before a re-design undertaken in the mid-1960s, which can be identified by the shield-shaped back stamp printed in green or black.