A fine example of Sunderland lustreware, this piece features five transfer panels and rich decoration with hand painted accents. The verses are surrounded by wreaths of flowers along with a panel featuring a sailor bidding farewell to his wife and family.

Sunderland lustreware ceramics were made in several workshops in and around Sunderland, England primarily in the early 1800’s. Most Sunderland pieces are in the iconic pink shade with gold luster finish and feature transfer-printed elements including pictures of ships, landscapes and bits of verse. Sometimes the transfers will include hand painted touches in other colors or the piece may feature the splash lustre effect, made by dropping oil onto the luster before firing.

While today, the pieces are very collectable, Sunderland was considered a luxury product from the start as the luster was made with actual gold and thus the finished pieces were more expensive. The glaze on these pieces was unpredictable and as the transfers were done by hand there are no two pieces of Sunderland that are exactly the same.