Mother Goose on goose-back
Figurine
ca.1890 (made)
ca.1890 (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 figures appear to be of Queen Victoria. Production of earthenware figures continued throughout Victoria's lifetime, but although they were still made after her death in 1901, few appear to have been produced after 1905. During their heyday, however, they were manufactured in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. They represented a wide variety of subjects but those of actors and actresses were especially popular.
This figurine is of Mother Goose, the subject of the fairy tale which appeared in a French collection published by Charles Perrault and translated into English in 1729. It may have been made because of the popularity of the fairy tale, or may have been inspired by a theatrical production. In the 19th century the clown Grimaldi made his name in the Covent Garden production of Dibdin's pantomime Mother Goose, or, the Golden Egg.
This figurine is of Mother Goose, the subject of the fairy tale which appeared in a French collection published by Charles Perrault and translated into English in 1729. It may have been made because of the popularity of the fairy tale, or may have been inspired by a theatrical production. In the 19th century the clown Grimaldi made his name in the Covent Garden production of Dibdin's pantomime Mother Goose, or, the Golden Egg.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mother Goose on goose-back (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Figurine of Mother Goose on goose-back. Earthenware, Kent & Parr, Staffordshire, ca.1890. Harry R. Beard Collection |
| Physical description | A figure of Mother Goose on goose-back, on a circular coloured base. She id holding a broom in her right hand, and wearing a white striped hat, a mauve shawl, a green bodice and an apron over a parerned white skirt. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | |
| Credit line | Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | Mother Goose |
| Summary | Earthenware flatbacks and figurines for mantelpiece decoration were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s. The earliest datable figures appear to be of Queen Victoria. Production of earthenware figures continued throughout Victoria's lifetime, but although they were still made after her death in 1901, few appear to have been produced after 1905. During their heyday, however, they were manufactured in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. They represented a wide variety of subjects but those of actors and actresses were especially popular. This figurine is of Mother Goose, the subject of the fairy tale which appeared in a French collection published by Charles Perrault and translated into English in 1729. It may have been made because of the popularity of the fairy tale, or may have been inspired by a theatrical production. In the 19th century the clown Grimaldi made his name in the Covent Garden production of Dibdin's pantomime Mother Goose, or, the Golden Egg. |
| Bibliographic reference | Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835 to 1975 by A&N. Harding
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.904-1981 |
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| Record created | December 30, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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