Before memes…there was Motto Ware.

In the late 1800s through the early 1900s, pottery started getting chatty. Known as Motto Ware, these pieces were decorated with short sayings, jokes, moral reminders, or cheeky bits of wisdom meant to spark conversation right on your table or shelf.
Some were sweet and sentimental.
Some offered practical life advice.
And some were delightfully sassy.
Motto ware first appeared in the 1860s in the Torquay area of Devon, England, where potters began hand-inscribing phrases, often written in local Devon dialect. These early pieces became known as Devon Motto Ware or Torquay Ware, and were especially popular as souvenirs and gift items during the Victorian era.
Developed for the seaside tourist trade, Motto Ware grew out of England’s long slipware tradition. Made primarily from earthenware with hand-trailed lettering, each piece was individually inscribed, resulting in charming variations in spelling, phrasing, and style, especially when written in local Devon dialect. Simple cottages and countryside scenes were commonly added to evoke an idealized vision of rural England, making these wares affordable, functional souvenirs.
Production declined after World War II as tastes and manufacturing shifted, but these charming dishes still find a home in the hearts of devoted collectors today.