Figurine
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 Staffordshire figures appear to be those of Queen Victoria, who was crowned in 1837. Images of royalty proved lucrative and during the 1840s Staffordshire pottery firms issued countless other royal figures. Although some appeared after Victoria's death in 1901, few were made after 1905. During their heyday however they were produced in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. As well as the royal family they represented a wide variety of subjects, those of actors and actresses being especially popular.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
Brief description | Figurine of Hamlet. Earthenware, Staffordshire, ca.1850 |
Physical description | Hamlet standing on a cream base with a gold line. He wears a light brown cloak and a cream ermine with black dots. The inside of the cloak is painted orange. He has a royal blue top and his shorts are striped with pink/lighter pink. He is also wearing a green sash with pink cross patterns. His cream hat has three pink feathers in front. With his left hand he holds a skull and his right arm is bent to his waist. His right foot is slightly turned out and he is wearing black shoes. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Bequeathed by John O'Donoghue |
Subject depicted | |
Association | |
Literary reference | <i>Hamlet</i> |
Summary | Earthenware flatbacks and figurines for mantelpiece decoration were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s. The earliest datable Staffordshire figures appear to be those of Queen Victoria, who was crowned in 1837. Images of royalty proved lucrative and during the 1840s Staffordshire pottery firms issued countless other royal figures. Although some appeared after Victoria's death in 1901, few were made after 1905. During their heyday however they were produced in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. As well as the royal family they represented a wide variety of subjects, those of actors and actresses being especially popular. |
Bibliographic reference | Portrait Figures of the Victorian Era by P.D. Gordon Pugh |
Collection | |
Accession number | S.39-2007 |
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Record created | March 24, 2009 |
Record URL |
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