WHAT IS A STOCK BLOCK?

 

Many, if not most, 19th century patterns made for children were very inexpensive. Someone once told me that in the 19th century it was probably cheaper to give a ceramic gift of a plate or mug with a loving message than one printed on paper like the ubiquitous paper greeting cards we give and receive today (this statement is uncorroborated). While looking at my collection, I focused on two shell edge plates and one mug from the early 19th century that had the text sandwiched between children who were playing. I saw that some of the same figures appeared in more than one item. Notice the boy with the hoop on the plate on the left also appears on the mug. The girl playing with the cat on the right-hand plate is also on the mug, minus the cat. I did wonder if this repetition was a way of keeping cost down. I went to my favorite book on children's pottery, Noel Riley's 1991 book "Gifts For Good Children." I learned that this type of decoration is called a stock block, as the manufacturer would already have the figures available to surround the words of the buyer.  Riley says on p. 248 (990) that this type of print "illustrates the use of a stock block with a cut-out central section allowing different inscriptions to be inserted." 

Below are a few more photos of stock block patterns. It appears that you could have any short message.

The stock block was also used for Sunday School gifts. Riley illustrates a few stock block mugs and a plate on p. 249. On the the stock block below, there appears a serious looking boy and girl holding up a scroll with a Biblical saying. Below are two more examples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The message on the next mug appears to be part of the Temperance Movement that enlisted children as young as six! If you want to learn more about the Temperance themed patterns for children, look at this link, https://dishynews.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-temperance-movement-on-transferware.html

I shall end this post with the wish that we still had inexpensive 19th century children's mugs and plates to give as gifts.  The good news is many of the plates and mugs were valued, so we still see lots of them  today. Inexpensive may be another matter.