Anybody please able to identify my very old frogs please?

Is anybody please able to help identify what is my parents pair of frogs please? No markings and glazed in a blue, almost like translucent paint. Mouths edged in gold as is the eyes with a gold dot. I am guessing they once held salt? Many thanks in advance.

Would it be difficult to get one's fingers in for salt? They might be spoon warmers.
Can you post a photo of the base - even if unmarked, it will still provide useful info for an id., eg, whether they're porcelain or earthenware.

That will be great, thank you so much. I won't see them until Saturday, however, my first job. Thank you again.

My Grotesque toad spoon warmer was never fully identified but I could pass this over to the eventual buyer who seemed on the case

Hi all, I am back with more photos of my parents frogs. As requested, particularly ones of the base. Also in answer to one question, I agree it would be difficult to get hand/fingers in for salt. That's my guess no longer an option! Thanks again in the hope of some identity.

Thanks for the extra photos.
I believe they are modern Chinese porcelain brush pots.
If you believe they are older then it's best to take them to an expert in Chinese/Japanese porcelain at one of the large auction houses for an appraisal.

If they are a soft white earthenware rather than a hard white porcelain then they may be Continental, eg, Portugal.

I would like to say a big Thank You Naomi for taking time to reply to my post. My parents know them to be in excess of 70 year old, and I'm afraid we are all rather amateur and naive on this subject. However, in what context a 'brush pot' please? Is it possible for me to tell the difference between soft white and hard white?
Yes, thank you, maybe that could be a step to have an appraisal done.
Thanks once again. G

Traditionally Chinese (and Japanese) scholars write their characters with paint brushes, and for that they need a pot containing water or ink. Hence 'brush pot'.

As for hardness, if the white base can easily be scratched with a pin then it's made of a soft white clay (earthenware). If it's as hard as a china teacup then it's porcelain.

To add, some continental manufacturers - notably germany - used a 'hard paste' porcelain so this might still be a spoon warmer.

Naomi is meaning are earthenware or porcelain, I'm as sure as I can be that they are porcelain.

P.S. Naomi must have replied as I had the reply box up

could these are spoonwarmers?
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16270/lot/144/

Yes, I'm pretty sure they are porcelain. If they were earthenware one would expect the bases to show some diirt and grime, and the mouths to show some chipping of the glaze if they were that old. Porcelain is one of the few materials that would stay as clean as they look.
The fact they're unmarked would point to a pre-1900 date (unless they were later copies).
If they were German hard paste porcelain one would expect to see some impressed numbers or other mark on the side or base.

Hi Naomi. You are very right in what you say. The pin trick revealed no scratching whatsoever, and again as you say spotlessly clean giving the opinion of Porcelain. Did you note on the base a small mark of the paint that they are glazed in?
I will try and contact Bonhams maybe and see if they could offer any more.
I'm finding it so interesting and am very grateful to you all. I will keep you updated. I have another mystery too, in the form of a flask vase of my parents which they are keen to find out more about. I will post. Thank you again.

Will be interested to know more about the frogs if you find out.

Love to see the vase. Best to start a new thread for it.

Oops, sorry. I see you have done.

I had a reply from Bonhams today. They quote the frogs as being Clair de Lune., They are not certain they can be accepted as manufactured in China, but the design implies they may be a 'night light'?
If as I believe they are pre 1930, would a tea light candle of been around then?
Thanks in advance again of any help.

Are you sure they're not referring to a celadon glaze? In Chinese porcelain, ”clair de lune” means the object has a Translucent, sky blue glaze of great quality

As for it being a night light, only if they mean a form of oil lamp - with oil and a wick. If they think it takes a tea light candle then they're saying it's modern. It's certainly not the right shape to take a candle.

Naomi, thank you for the reply. I am very confused.
The only quotes from Bonhams was ' Thank you for your Clair de Lune frogs, I am not certain they can be accepted as manufactured in China. That implied to me he had decided what they were as I gave him no suggestions. He went onto say 'the design implies they may be a nightlight'
It was myself presuming they meant through the use of a tea-light as I know not or cannot guess of any other form of light that could come from the frogs. I doubt there would be sufficient room or visible light.
I think your first suggestion sounds more likely.

I have just PM you the exact reply. Thank You for all your help.

I still think German hard paste porcelain novelty spoon warmer. Something one would pick up at a fairground. Maybe pre-WW2 or possibly 1950s - because of the war styles didn't change much over those decades.