Mrs Vining as 'Peter Wilkins'
Figure
ca.1837 (made)
ca.1837 (made)
| Place of origin |
Earthenware flatbacks and figurines for mantelpiece decoration were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s, and the earliest datable Staffordshire figures appear to be those of Queen Victoria. Images of royalty proved lucrative and during the 1840s countless other royal figures were issued by Staffordshire pottery firms. Although some Staffordshire portrait figures were produced after Victoria's death in 1901, few appear to have been produced after 1905. During their heyday however they were made in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. As well as the royal family they represented a wide variety of subjects, actors and actresses being especially popular.
Figures C.50 and 51-2013 represent 'Yourawkee' and 'Peter Wilkins' from The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, a drama adapted from a novel by Robert Paltock (1697-1767). The play made its debut at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden in 1827. Wlkins becomes shipwrecked in Antarctica on an island inhabited by fairy creatures called 'Gawries' and 'Glums'. One of these creatures Yourawkee, falls into Wilkin's hut, they then fall in love and marry. C.51-2013 is based on a print published by Thomas McLean, Haymarket, 1827, inscribed; Mrs Vining in the Character of Peter Wilkins. The pair to this piece C.50-2013 probably shows the Actress Miss Mary Glover as 'Yourawkee'.
Figures C.50 and 51-2013 represent 'Yourawkee' and 'Peter Wilkins' from The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, a drama adapted from a novel by Robert Paltock (1697-1767). The play made its debut at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden in 1827. Wlkins becomes shipwrecked in Antarctica on an island inhabited by fairy creatures called 'Gawries' and 'Glums'. One of these creatures Yourawkee, falls into Wilkin's hut, they then fall in love and marry. C.51-2013 is based on a print published by Thomas McLean, Haymarket, 1827, inscribed; Mrs Vining in the Character of Peter Wilkins. The pair to this piece C.50-2013 probably shows the Actress Miss Mary Glover as 'Yourawkee'.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mrs Vining as 'Peter Wilkins' (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | moulded earthenware, painted in enamel colours and gilded |
| Brief description | Figure, Mrs Vining as 'Peter Wilkins', moulded earthenware, painted in enamel colours and gilded. Staffordshire, ca.1837. |
| Physical description | Figure of a man, moulded earthenware, painted in enamel colours and gilded. Some cracks to front proper right base. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Julie and Robert Breckman |
| Summary | Earthenware flatbacks and figurines for mantelpiece decoration were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s, and the earliest datable Staffordshire figures appear to be those of Queen Victoria. Images of royalty proved lucrative and during the 1840s countless other royal figures were issued by Staffordshire pottery firms. Although some Staffordshire portrait figures were produced after Victoria's death in 1901, few appear to have been produced after 1905. During their heyday however they were made in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. As well as the royal family they represented a wide variety of subjects, actors and actresses being especially popular. Figures C.50 and 51-2013 represent 'Yourawkee' and 'Peter Wilkins' from The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, a drama adapted from a novel by Robert Paltock (1697-1767). The play made its debut at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden in 1827. Wlkins becomes shipwrecked in Antarctica on an island inhabited by fairy creatures called 'Gawries' and 'Glums'. One of these creatures Yourawkee, falls into Wilkin's hut, they then fall in love and marry. C.51-2013 is based on a print published by Thomas McLean, Haymarket, 1827, inscribed; Mrs Vining in the Character of Peter Wilkins. The pair to this piece C.50-2013 probably shows the Actress Miss Mary Glover as 'Yourawkee'. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.51-2013 |
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| Record created | August 16, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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