Woman in Turkish costume
Figurine
ca. 1850 (made)
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 figures appear to be of Queen Victoria. Images of royalty proved a lucrative market and during the 1840s there were countless other royal figures issued by Staffordshire pottery firms, celebrating, for example, Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, and the birth of the royal children. 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 produced in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. Since they were produced in moulds, they were relatively cheap and easy to make. Figures of actors and actresses were especially popular. This figure may represent an actress in a Turkish costume in a contemporary play, but has not been identified as a specific person or character.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Woman in Turkish costume (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Figurine of an unidentified woman in Turkish costume, with a guitar. Earthenware, Staffordshire, ca.1850 |
| Physical description | Glazed earthenware figurine of a Turkish woman standing on an integral oval white base, decorated with a gold painted line. Flat-back, wearing a white turban decorated with purple lines, a green low-cut blouse over white sleeves, a royal blue skirt over peach pantaloons and orange curled-toe slippers and a white cape. She holds the guitar-style instrument in her left hand. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | No marks |
| Credit line | Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996 |
| 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. Images of royalty proved a lucrative market and during the 1840s there were countless other royal figures issued by Staffordshire pottery firms, celebrating, for example, Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, and the birth of the royal children. 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 produced in vast numbers, usually modelled after prints. Since they were produced in moulds, they were relatively cheap and easy to make. Figures of actors and actresses were especially popular. This figure may represent an actress in a Turkish costume in a contemporary play, but has not been identified as a specific person or character. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.938-1996 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | February 6, 2006 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
