Ceramic
early 20th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This souvenir plate is illustrated with an image of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) in front of the river and church at Stratford-upon-Avon. The rim is decorated with various characters from his plays, including Shylock and Portia from The Merchant of Venice, Rosalind and Touchstone from As You Like It, Malvolio from Twelfth Night, Katharine from The Taming of the Shrew, Falstaff from Henry IV and The Merry Wives of Windsor and the eponymous characters King Lear, Othello, Macbeth, Henry V, and Richard III.
The plate was produced by Royal Doulton who introduced the pattern in 1909 and withdrew it in 1938. Royal Doulton began in Lambeth, London, in 1815 when John Doulton manufactured ceramic items such as stoneware bottles and sewer pipes. The Victorian revolution in hygiene and sanitation ensured its success, and Doulton later produced tableware and commemorative items such as this. They moved to Burslem in The Potteries in 1882, added porcelain to their production two years later and were granted a Royal Warrant in 1901.
The plate was produced by Royal Doulton who introduced the pattern in 1909 and withdrew it in 1938. Royal Doulton began in Lambeth, London, in 1815 when John Doulton manufactured ceramic items such as stoneware bottles and sewer pipes. The Victorian revolution in hygiene and sanitation ensured its success, and Doulton later produced tableware and commemorative items such as this. They moved to Burslem in The Potteries in 1882, added porcelain to their production two years later and were granted a Royal Warrant in 1901.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Rack plate commemorating William Shakespeare, featuring characters from some of his best-known plays. Royal Doulton, glazed earthenware, produced between 1909 and 1938. |
| Physical description | Glazed earthenware plate decorated in underglaze blue, the centre decorated with an image of William Shakespeare in front of the river and the church at Stratford upon Avon, under which is written 'Shakespeare'. The rim is decorated with various characters from his plays, clockwise from centre top: Shylock, Rosalind, Touchstone, King Lear, Othello, Portia, Macbeth, Katharine, Malvolio, Henry V, Richard lll and Falstaff. A painted scroll on the rim below the image of Shakespeare has the words 'Sweet Swan of Avon 1564-1616'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Royal Doulton mark in underglaze blue on bottom of plate, surmounted by a lion and the words ROYAL DOULTON ENGLAND and the registered number 549784 |
| Object history | This blue and white Shakespeare plate is Pattern D3195, first introduced by Royal Doulton in 1909. A coloured version was made in 1964 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This souvenir plate is illustrated with an image of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) in front of the river and church at Stratford-upon-Avon. The rim is decorated with various characters from his plays, including Shylock and Portia from The Merchant of Venice, Rosalind and Touchstone from As You Like It, Malvolio from Twelfth Night, Katharine from The Taming of the Shrew, Falstaff from Henry IV and The Merry Wives of Windsor and the eponymous characters King Lear, Othello, Macbeth, Henry V, and Richard III. The plate was produced by Royal Doulton who introduced the pattern in 1909 and withdrew it in 1938. Royal Doulton began in Lambeth, London, in 1815 when John Doulton manufactured ceramic items such as stoneware bottles and sewer pipes. The Victorian revolution in hygiene and sanitation ensured its success, and Doulton later produced tableware and commemorative items such as this. They moved to Burslem in The Potteries in 1882, added porcelain to their production two years later and were granted a Royal Warrant in 1901. |
| Associated object | S.280-1987 (Object) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.118-1988 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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