Figure thumbnail 1
Figure thumbnail 2
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Figure

ca. 1770 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
The figure is emblematic of America. It is a purely decorative piece from a set representing the Four Continents. Each of the figures is frontally posed, and the backs are poorly finished, so they were probably intended to be set against a wall. They may have been displayed set out on a chimneypiece or other domestic furnishing.

People
This set of figures was first made by the partnership of Nicholas Crisp (born about 1704; died 1774) and John Saunders at Vauxhall in London. The modeller of the Vauxhall Continents has not been identified. However, the Neo-classical sculptor John Bacon the Elder (1740-1799) was apprenticed to Crisp and is said to have modelled for the factory. On the other hand, Crisp also employed a modeller and mould-maker named Hammersley, who later worked at Plymouth, where this figure was made. Even if he did not model the figure, Hammersley may have made the moulds in which they were cast, and he presumably brought the moulds or casting models from London to Plymouth. The Plymouth factory was founded by William Cookworthy (1705-1780), an apothecary. Cookworthy had discovered the raw materials required for 'true' or hard-paste porcelain when prospecting in Cornwall in the 1740s, but he did not succeed in manufacturing it on a commercial scale until 1768.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilded
Brief description
Figure of America
Physical description
PLYMOUTH FIGURE
Dimensions
  • Height: 33.65cm
  • Width: 13cm
  • Depth: 13cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 17/11/1999 by KN
Gallery label
British Galleries: TWO VERSIONS OF A FIGURE OF AMERICA
The repetition of the design here was probably the result of moulds being taken from Vauxhall to Plymouth, where men from Vauxhall were employed after the factory closed down. Workers had to be mobile because of bankruptcies and fluctuations in demand, but their mobility helped spread styles throughout the industry.(27/03/2003)
Credit line
Given by Mrs L. J. Hayward
Object history
Made at the Plymouth porcelain factory, Devon
Summary
Object Type
The figure is emblematic of America. It is a purely decorative piece from a set representing the Four Continents. Each of the figures is frontally posed, and the backs are poorly finished, so they were probably intended to be set against a wall. They may have been displayed set out on a chimneypiece or other domestic furnishing.

People
This set of figures was first made by the partnership of Nicholas Crisp (born about 1704; died 1774) and John Saunders at Vauxhall in London. The modeller of the Vauxhall Continents has not been identified. However, the Neo-classical sculptor John Bacon the Elder (1740-1799) was apprenticed to Crisp and is said to have modelled for the factory. On the other hand, Crisp also employed a modeller and mould-maker named Hammersley, who later worked at Plymouth, where this figure was made. Even if he did not model the figure, Hammersley may have made the moulds in which they were cast, and he presumably brought the moulds or casting models from London to Plymouth. The Plymouth factory was founded by William Cookworthy (1705-1780), an apothecary. Cookworthy had discovered the raw materials required for 'true' or hard-paste porcelain when prospecting in Cornwall in the 1740s, but he did not succeed in manufacturing it on a commercial scale until 1768.
Collection
Accession number
C.556-1920

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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