An early 19th century pearlware char dish with deep sides. Hand-coloured transfer print, under glaze. In excellent condition.
 
These dishes were used for potted charr, a fashionable delicacy in the 18th and 19th century. Charr is a salmon-like fish native to deep, cold lakes, particularly Windermere in Cumbria. The fish was seasoned with spices usually mace or cloves, and then sealed in the dish with a layer of clarified butter, enabling it to not spoil during transport, often to London.