Mid-19th Century Minton Victorian Majolica Game Pie Dish

Game pies, made of fowl, rabbit, or venison inside a pastry crust, have always been a staple of English cuisine. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century that game pie dishes were introduced. As wheat shortages made pie crusts increasingly prohibitive, families sought alternative solutions. As a result, in order to be more economical, households, including that of the royal family, began to make game pies without a crust. Made popular by Josiah Wedgwood, game pie dishes were designed to assist these culinary endeavors by holding the pie together without the need for a pastry crust.

This dish contains the original ceramic liner, which held the game pie together while baking; the liner with the pie inside was then placed into the decorative game pie dish for serving.

Dimensions: 13 in. L x 8 in. W x 7 1/2 in. H (33 cm L x 20.3 cm W x 19 cm H)
Condition: Excellent, with original liner present. Some minor scuffing to rabbit’s head. Chip to rim of liner measuring 1.6 cm.

Literature:

Goodby, Miranda. “’The productions of this firm stand pre-eminent’: The Minton Factory and Majolica.” In Majolica Mania: Transatlantic Pottery in England and the United States, 1850–1915 vol. 2, ed. Susan Weber et al. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020. Identical example illus. pg 22 Fig. 11.37.

References:

National Trust, Saltram House, NT 871064
Victoria & Albert Museum, C.80 to B-1971.