Antique Pottery
Antique Mocha Ware Checkerboard Mugs – Early 19th Century English Mochaware
Antique Mocha Ware Checkerboard Mugs – Early 19th Century English Mochaware
Couldn't load pickup availability
AT A GLANCE
- Type:
- Mug
- Style:
- Mochaware / Early Industrial Pottery
- Era:
- Victorian Era (1837 - 1901)
- Circa:
- 1825 - 1860
- Origin:
- England (one marked Austria)
- Material:
- Earthenware
- Dimensions:
- About 3" high
- Color:
- Brown, green, tan, ivory
- Pattern:
- Checkerboard
- Decoration:
- Slip-decorated, lathe-turned
- Maker’s mark:
- Mostly unmarked; one marked Austria
Low stock: 1 left
Collector-Favorite Checkerboard Pattern | Early 19th Century Mocha Pottery
Collector’s Note
Mocha ware—also known as mochaware—is a distinctive form of early 19th-century pottery prized for its slip-decorated surfaces. Produced primarily in England from the late 1700s through the mid-1800s, these utilitarian wares were made for everyday use in homes and taverns. Today, collectors especially seek geometric patterns like checkerboard designs, which often involved lathe-turning techniques to achieve their crisp, repeating forms.
This collection features antique mocha ware mugs, each decorated in the highly collectible checkerboard pattern, a design prized for its precision and visual rhythm.
Each mug displays a hand-applied or lathe-assisted checkerboard design in earthy tones—ranging from deep chocolate brown to olive and pine green—set against a warm ivory or tan ground. Horizontal banding at the rim and base frames the decoration, giving each piece a structured, architectural feel.
These geometric designs were often created using an engine-turning lathe, where the surface was carefully shaved after slip application to achieve crisp, repeating patterns. Subtle variations between each mug reflect their handmade nature and period production methods.
Choose your preferred mug from the options above the At A Glance grid. Each piece is photographed and shown as a multi-image.
Chocolate & Ivory Checkerboard – Marked Austria
- 2 ¾” high × 3 ¾” wide (including handle)
- Marked “AUSTRIA 00”
- Visible lathe marks on base
- Condition: Small glaze loss areas and minor vertical cracks
Chocolate & Ivory Checkerboard – Classic Form (England)
- 2 ⅞” high × 3 ¼” across rim
- Unmarked
- Condition: Excellent, no chips or cracks
Olive Green & Tan Checkerboard (England)
- 3” high × 3 ¾” across rim
- Unmarked
- Condition: Very good, small glaze loss near base
Pine Green & Tan Checkerboard (England)
- 3 ⅛” high × 4” across rim
- Unmarked
- Condition: Very good, minor glaze loss and light lathe irregularity
About Mocha Pottery
Mocha pottery emerged in England in the 1790s as a form of utilitarian earthenware distinguished by its slip‑decorated surfaces. The name “mocha” derives from the moss agate stone—found near Mocha in Yemen—whose branching inclusions resemble the ware’s signature dendrites. Early production is associated with the William Adams family of Tunstall, England.
Produced for everyday use in modest homes and taverns, it featured bands, checkerboards, and the celebrated dendritic “moss” patterns created through chemical reactions on wet slip. Potters applied decoration quickly: vessels were dipped in liquid slip, then touched with a mixture of tobacco juice, turpentine, hops, and other ingredients that produced the characteristic veining. Additional motifs, including checkerboards and banding, were painted or slip‑trailed by hand.
These mugs display beautifully as a grouped collection, where the repeating checkerboard patterns create a striking visual rhythm. Whether arranged on open shelving or incorporated into a country or early American kitchen display, they bring texture, history, and understated graphic appeal.
Explore our Antique & Vintage Pottery collections for more redware, yellowware, salt-glazed stoneware, art pottery, and earthenware pieces shaped from clays using regional pottery traditions.
We ask that when making your purchasing decision that you consider the photos as part of the item's description.
We ask that when making your purchasing decision that you consider the photos as part of the item's description.
We do our best to provide you within the written description as much information, whether it’s the history, manufacturer, or condition, for each item we sell.
We also recognize that a “picture is worth a thousand words” and ask that you view the photos we provide closely. Often, a photo can be more effective than a written description when determining if an item will meet your needs and satisfaction.
If you need additional information on this or any item, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Share this listing.
