Shelley produced a range of jelly moulds with a wonderful sculptural quality as the shape inside was mimicked on the outside of the mould. They were advertised as 'easy to turn out' - the theory was that with an equal thickness of earthenware to all parts of the mould, heat would travel evenly when loosening the jelly. The first named shape, Armadillo, was introduced in 1904 and production of jelly moulds ceased in 1940 when the earthenware works closed.
This would still be totally functional and a fun activity with kids.
