A Caughley egg drainer circa 1785 of circular form, the pierced bowl with a shell form handle, transfer-printed in underglaze blue with the Pleasure Boat pattern, unmarked, bowl 8cm diameter Provenance: Ex. Wychwood Collection. Notes: Contemporary porcelain factory documents call objects like these 'egg drainers' when they have a small side handle. They were often included in breakfast sets and one suggestion is that they were possibly used to serve poached eggs. An article by Richard Halliday, 'Pickle Dishes and Milseys', written for the Northern Ceramic Society investigated further the use for these 'drainers'. The word 'milsey' comes from two middle English words 'mylke syhe' which today mean 'milk sieve', which today has been applied to pottery and porcelain strainers which may or may not have been used to sieve hot milk. Halliday found that these drainers proved to be neither practical or functional in the use of draining eggs, nor were they appropriate for draining tea. One conclusion drawn is that they were perhaps used to strain boiled milk which was necessary to prevent it tasting somewhat sour in the pre-refrigeration days. Indeed, Nelson's breakfast set supplied by Chamberlain's, Worcester in 1802 contained 'six egg cups and drainers.'