Another week another early 19th c. Staffordshire child’s mug, because good ones keep crossing my path, and I've always got a close eye out for them, too. At this point I look mostly for ones I've never seen with text or imagery that strikes me as especially clever or fetching. And fetching this one is, with sweet dog swimming back to shore, stick retrieved. Unusual is that the center of the hat held by the dog's human companion is actually rendered in three dimensions (a tiny bit of ceramic relief)--maybe a flaw in the making but it landed just right!  Rust red transfer with pink luster accents.

2 1/2” in diameter by 2 5/8” tall; 3 1/2 across at handle. Some scattered stains and a little luster loss around the lip but overall good condition with no notable chips or cracks.