Calico Floral Transferware Appraisal

Vintage Blue and White Calico Floral Transferware Sake Set

This three-piece ceramic set features a classic 'Calico' or floral chintz design in a deep cobalt blue transfer print against a white ground. The set consists of a globular sake carafe (tokkuri) with a cylindrical neck, a cylindrical drinking cup (ochoko), and a shallow open bowl or basin. The pattern is characterized by a dense, all-over arrangement of small five-petaled white flowers amidst a blue floral network, a style popularized by English potteries such as Burleigh in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The carafe features a prominent blue band at the rim, while the cup shows the pattern continuing to its base. The visible ceramic body appears to be a heavy earthenware or ironstone common in mid-20th-century production. Condition-wise, the items appear well-preserved with no immediate signs of large chips or cracks, though typical shelf wear is visible on the unglazed foot rings, particularly on the inverted cup. The transfer application is crisp, though slight misalignments are typical of this manufacturing process. This set likely dates from the mid-to-late 20th century, drawing inspiration from Victorian-era English transferware patterns and Japanese functional forms.