Lot 91: A Shorter & Son Ceramic Hen on Nest Egg Crock

An English glazed earthenware egg crock in the form of a hen seated upon a basket-weave nest. The two-part ceramic piece features a white glazed hen with a chick head visible beneath its wing. The hen’s face is hand-painted with orange and red pigments for the comb and wattles, with black eyes and beak detail. The wing and tail feathers are defined by impressed lines highlighted with a brown metallic luster. The lower section is moulded and glazed in yellow to resemble a woven basket. The underside of the base features an impressed mark consisting of the words ‘SHORTER & SON’ arranged in an arc, above the numeral ‘2’, and the phrase ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ at the bottom edge. A white rectangular adhesive label is affixed to the front of the hen’s breast, printed with the inventory number ‘12873’ over the letter ‘D’.