Description: Canton Sugar Bowls and their accompanying teapots and creamers make up a confusing world in defining the many, many variations to be found. Designations that have come into common useage will be physical descriptions of the bowls such as “Drum Shape”, “Pear Shape”, “Ball Shape”, “Barrel Shape” and “Conical Shape”. In buying any sugar bowl make sure the top fits well.

These are the earliest sugar bowls distinguished by their pair of twisted handles. They range in size from 3″ tall to 6 1/2″ tall and they weigh from 4 oz. to 1 lb. 4 oz. They all have rain cloud borders on the tops only and the berry knobs range from a little blob to nicely crafted berries. There are 2 Canton scenes on all of them including the smallest sugar. All bottoms are glazed and the tops sit on the rims and have small flanges that help prevent them from falling off.  The only teapots that have twisted handles are the Lighthouse and Drum shaped pots. I wonder why there is not also matching creamers for these twisted handle sugars? Cream not in favor in the early days?

Besides the pictures of the 8 sugars together, the largest and the smallest are shown side by side with the ubiquitous Cambell’s soup can and a matchbook, quite a contrast!

As to prices, the larger the size the more expensive except when it comes to the very smallest sugars. We value them almost as much as the largest because of their rarity.