A set of five toleware country house servant's bell signs
A rare set of five 19th century hand painted tole signs from a large country house bell system. The signs would have been in a row beneath the bells in the kitchen of a large country house to indicate which bell was ringing for a particular room. Some of these can still be found in large country house (see a simialr set in Speke Hall, Liverpool (National Trust). It is rare to find these on the open market.
The signs themselves show the story of the house. No 3 'Mr Charles Room' was reused and has also 'No 3 bedroom' painted to the back. Peprhaps Mr Charles was no longer with the family, and the sign was reused for the same room. Likewise faintly on the back of No 15 bedroom can be seen an earlier name, 'Myrtle room'. The country house was obviously large with at least 15 bedrooms.
Measuring: approx 15 cm x 12 cm
British, second half 19th century
