Elsmore and Forster presentation cup
Mug
ca.1850 (made)
ca.1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This earthenware presentation mug is decorated with transfer prints of theatrical engravings and chap-book prints. It was probably made by the Staffordshire firm of Elsmore and Forster, Clayhills Pottery, Tunstall, which operated between 1853 and 1871 and specialised in this type of presentation ware. They produced various examples of presentation mugs and jugs, all decorated with engraved images relating to popular entertainment, so it seems that they had acquired a stock of old prints which were reproduced in different combinations on various-sized jugs. This clown print and Harlequinade figure group also feature on similar Elsmore and Forster jugs, including the more sophisticated jug in the Theatre Collections, S.209-1998.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Elsmore and Forster presentation cup (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Clay, ink and glaze |
| Brief description | Two-handled presentation cup featuring images from a pantomime Harlequinade and chapbook images. Produced by Elsmore and Forster, ca.1850. |
| Physical description | Cream two-handled presentation cup with transfer-printed images on the body and a decorative pattern on both handles up to and over the shoulders. The decoration has been rubbed off/faded on top of handle shoulders. Shadow chapbook figures run round base, and images include the four pantomime figures Pantaloon, Harlequin, Columbine and Clown, Shakespeare standing by a pedestal, the Commedia dell'arte character Il Capitano and chapbook nursery rhyme figures. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | '6' (Marked on base) |
| Credit line | Given by Frances Dann |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This earthenware presentation mug is decorated with transfer prints of theatrical engravings and chap-book prints. It was probably made by the Staffordshire firm of Elsmore and Forster, Clayhills Pottery, Tunstall, which operated between 1853 and 1871 and specialised in this type of presentation ware. They produced various examples of presentation mugs and jugs, all decorated with engraved images relating to popular entertainment, so it seems that they had acquired a stock of old prints which were reproduced in different combinations on various-sized jugs. This clown print and Harlequinade figure group also feature on similar Elsmore and Forster jugs, including the more sophisticated jug in the Theatre Collections, S.209-1998. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.54-1988 |
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| Record created | December 5, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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