Cooler, Butter
Porcelain butter cooler dish with blue transfer printed floral design, Hancock, MA
1878-1890
Description
A round white footed porcelain bowl with cobalt blue transfer-printed design. Along the edge of the foot is a patterned border, which comprises alternating sail-like shapes with curved lines inside. The exterior of the bowl has a design of floral sprays alternating with hanging baskets. The lip of the bowl has the same border that is on the foot. The interior of the bowl has two 1/8" edges. The smaller of the two is meant for the liner (c) to keep the butter from touching the ice below. The liner is a circular disk with a central through-hole 7/8 in diameter and twelve smaller holes radiating from the central one. On the top side of the liner there is a floral scene at the center encircled by the alternating pattern. The second ledge, near the lip of the bowl, is meant to keep the lid (b) in place. The lid has the repeating pattern along the bottom edge and encircling the center pull. In between these two borders are two hanging baskets with large floral branches separated by two small bouquets tied with a bow on the end. The base of the pull is outlined in cobalt. The pull has a small stem and increases in size and is ridged. The ridges are dotted at top with cobalt. The pull then becomes conical in shape and is colored cobalt at the tip.