Staffordshire figurine
Figurine
ca.1850 (made)
ca.1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Earthenware flatbacks and figurines for mantelpiece decoration were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s. The earliest datable figures appear to be those of Queen Victoria. Production of earthenware figures continued throughout Victoria's lifetime, but although they were still made after her death in 1901, few appear to have been produced after 1905. During their heyday, however, they were produced in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. Since they were produced in moulds, they were relatively cheap and easy to make. They represented a wide variety of subjects but those of actors and actresses were especially popular. This figure may be an actor but has not been identified as a specific person or character.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Staffordshire figurine (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Figurine of an unidentified man. Glazed earthenware, Staffordshire, ca.1850 |
| Physical description | Glazed earthenware figurine on an integral oval white base, decorated with a gold painted line. Standing and modelled in the round, wearing a light green belted jacket with gold cuffs, white breeches, black boots, and a royal blue cape, lined in orange with ermine trimmed collar and gold tassel fastening. He wears a white hat, plumed in orange and purple, and holds a sword by his side in his left hand. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Richard Vincent Hughes Bequest |
| Summary | Earthenware flatbacks and figurines for mantelpiece decoration were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s. The earliest datable figures appear to be those of Queen Victoria. Production of earthenware figures continued throughout Victoria's lifetime, but although they were still made after her death in 1901, few appear to have been produced after 1905. During their heyday, however, they were produced in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. Since they were produced in moulds, they were relatively cheap and easy to make. They represented a wide variety of subjects but those of actors and actresses were especially popular. This figure may be an actor but has not been identified as a specific person or character. |
| Bibliographic reference | Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835-1875, Book One, by A& N. Harding, p.367, fig.1411
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.323-1981 |
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| Record created | December 7, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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