I have been looking at a collection of these eggs today which are extremely special - made in the mid nineteenth century in Whitehaven, a port on the north west coast of England. They are valued at between £600 - £1,000 each. Now I know what to ask the Easter Bunny for next year! US visitors might also be interested to know that Whitehaven is the location of the last attempt to invade English soil - by John Paul Jones in 1778 - I wonder if that fracas is what caused the death of George Washington's grandmother who is buried in the town at St Nicholas.
My aunt and uncle have one of these, as illustrated; it bears a family inscription.
ReplyDeleteBelieve these were made by the potters themselves as 'foreigners', also known as unofficial pieces made in their own work time.