Ironstone animal tureen (not authenticated)

This ceramic piece appears to be an animal-form tureen, likely a duck or similar waterfowl, constructed from a creamy white ironstone material. The item features prominent vertical ribbing along the body resembling feathers and culminates in a sculpted head and neck forming the handle or lid finial. The base is hexagonal in shape, with some exposed unglazed ceramic showing minor discoloration and wear at the rim. On the bottom of the base, a black printed maker's mark is clearly visible, reading 'REAL ENGLISH IRONSTONE' in an arc above a central crest flanked by a lion and a unicorn, with 'WM ADAMS & SONS, ENGLAND.' printed below. The overall surface displays a smooth, glossy glaze with subtle signs of age such as faint spots of discoloration. The identification rests primarily on the legible maker's mark stamped on the base, which is consistent with nineteenth-century or twentieth-century transfer-printed pottery production, though the item itself remains unauthenticated and its exact age or production period cannot be definitively established from the visual evidence alone.

Based on the image provided, this item appears to be an animal-form tureen, likely a duck or waterfowl, constructed of white ironstone. It bears a maker's mark reading 'REAL ENGLISH IRONSTONE' with a crest and 'WM ADAMS & SONS, ENGLAND', suggesting it could be a piece by William Adams & Sons. The design features vertical ribbing and a sculpted head forming a finial or handle, set on a hexagonal base. Some minor discoloration and wear are visible at the base rim. It is important to note that this attribution is a hypothesis based solely on the visual evidence of the mark, and I cannot verify the item's age or maker from a photograph. Physical inspection would be required to examine the glaze, material composition, and manufacturing techniques to assess its true age and origin. Assuming the piece is an antique William Adams & Sons ironstone tureen of this style, comparable items typically sell in the $50 to $150 range, depending on condition and collector interest. If physical inspection revealed it to be a later reproduction or an unattributed piece, the value would likely fall to the lower end of this range or below, perhaps $20 to $40 as a decorative item. The current estimate is based on the assumed attribution and the visible condition, but a formal in-person appraisal and authentication would be necessary to establish a more precise value.