Antique Shaving Mugs

T&V Limoges, France

I happened upon this mug at an antique dealer's last week. No, I don't collect these. I just wanted a nice old shaving mug to keep my Old Spice mug company. I have some triple milled french shaving soaps that just feel too "dainty" to throw into the Old Spice mug (which nowadays holds, what else, HBS Old Spice shave soap).

I read about it and read about it, and came across a couple of pretty interesting articles by HGTV antique hunters, the Kovels. I have excerpted them below.

Not surprisingly, there seems to be quite a few vintage shave mugs floating around on ebay. The replicas, however, outnumber the antiques in the order of several thousands to one. Tell-tale signs of a reproduction include having no signs of wear. On close inspection, the dot pattern of silk screening is also clearly evident.

This mug has worn gilding, which I actually like. It gives the mug character, and yes, it is not a fake. It was well-used by someone named "Morrison," who liked pastoral scenes. The beautiful pink and gold enamel pattern is also very eye-catching.








Personalized Shave Mug was a Barbershop Necessity

By Ralph and Terry Kovel
King Features Syndicate
Originally published 12:00 a.m., March 21, 2008
Updated 05:08 p.m., March 20, 2008

This occupational shaving mug with the picture of a horse-drawn ambulance and driver sold at a Cowan auction in Cincinnati for $22,425.

Every Victorian barbershop had a rack filled with shaving mugs that belonged to regular customers. And most customers had a personalized mug with a name and often a special picture showing the owner's job.

Shaving was different in those days. No electric razors -- just shaving soap, a brush and a safety razor. Because shaving was difficult and small cuts often got infected, men went to the barber several times a week for a shave.

First the barber softened the skin and hair with a hot, wet towel on the face. Then the barber would get the customer's special shaving mug, rub the soap with a wet brush and lather the customer's face. Then the barber carefully shaved off the softened beard and soap foam with a straight razor.

The occupations pictured on mugs ranged from policeman or mail-truck driver to dentist, house painter, gymnast, plumber, undertaker or even ambulance driver. Most of the mugs were made in Germany from the 1860s to the 1920s. Unusual examples sell for thousands of dollars.

A Red Cross ambulance driver named McNultie would have been surprised to see his mug picturing a horse-drawn ambulance sell for more than $22,000.

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTING RALPH AND TERRY KOVEL
Mugs for shaving have appreciated at fast clip

January 9, 2005

Old-time barbershops featured an elaborate, adjustable barber's chair, bottles of shampoo or dandruff cure, bowls for powder, razors and decorated shaving mugs.

Men of means would go to the barbershop for a shave each day. But they faced the problem of contracting "barber's itch," a skin disease properly called folliculitis in which the hair follicles become infected, red and painful.

Shaving, because it might cut the skin, makes the infection possible. So barbers kept a mug, brush and bar of soap for each customer. The mug was identified by a special symbol or picture and the client's name.

A personal shaving mug was often also used at home. Collectors have been interested in occupational mugs since the 1930s. Mugs can picture a train conductor, butcher, undertaker, banker or any other occupation suited to the client. The more unusual the occupation, the more valuable the shaving mug is today.