Lightweight ceramic spice jars. Blue in color. Each piece has a circular portrait of figures in full color and white labeled section "Tea," "Coffee," etc. The bottom reads "Victoria China, Czechoslovakia." The "Tea" also has an imprinted "3114" on the bottom. Four large pieces (Tea, Rice, Coffee, Sugar), approx. 7.5" high x 4.5 " wide with ceramic top; one medium piece (Salt) with wooden flat top and high back with hole for mounting, approx. 6.5 " tall x 5" wide; two small pieces (Ginger, Cinnamon), approx. 4.5" high x 2.5" wide with ceramic top.
This set was in my grandmother's house and my mother inherited it when grandma passed away in 1976. I inherited the set when my mother passed away in 2016. Grandma was from Poland; grandpa was from the Ukraine.
Your Victoria China kitchen canister set that was made in Czechoslovakia dates to just about 1930. The Czechoslovakia country of origin stamp began to be used in 1918. The glaze with its pearlescent blue sheen is referred to as lusterware. The way it is applied is based on blue spongeware designs which was popular on stoneware from America and Europe in the 19th century. The material of your canisters is porcelain. The central allegorical motif with women in classical garb is based on paintings from the 18th century by the female Swiss painter, Angelika (or Angelica) Kauffman. The design is transferprinted, not hand painted and then heightened or embellished by hand with color. The words for which spice or dry good that is contained in each canister were painted by hand. The estimate is for the set and is based on recent past auction sales of comparables.