Gifts for Good Children: Transferware Children's Mugs & Plates

For Loving a Book

These "Gifts for Good Children" are transfer-printed patterns on mugs and plates from nineteenth century England (1820-1890).  They were intended as gifts and rewards for good children. I love the two mugs "For Loving a Book." Perhaps they was given to children who had just read their first book?

The mugs and plates were also used as teaching tools, thus the alphabet. Sometimes they had numbers, as well as math (division and addition), and even information on parts of speech (pronouns).

These antique mugs and plates sell for about $350-$450. You can find several on the Transferware Club website (many different dealers), as well as eBay, and occasionally in antique shops and at fleamarkets. The fact that they survived all this time is nothing short of a miracle. After all, they were given to children.

A recommended book on the subject is Gifts for Good Children by Noel Riley (1991).

For Loving a Book

The Learned Dog

Come Dear Child and let me see how you can say your ABC

A was an Archer Prepared for Battle

S is for Sheep

L is for Lamb, Lion, Lamp

For My Dear Girl

Christmas Day: Molded Alphabet Border teaches the Alphabet