Mistress Ford
Figurine
ca.1880 (made)
ca.1880 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This figurine of Mistress Ford, one of a series of Shakespeare characters, was made in Paris by the company of Edmé Samson, a famous copyist of pottery and porcelain. Samson established his factory in Paris in 1845, producing pieces inspired by and copied from the work of famous factories, including Meissen, Sèvres, Chelsea, Derby and all the major factories of England, France and Germany, as well as tin-glazed earthenware or faience. He claimed to mark all pieces with his own double 'S' mark as well as the mark of the original piece, but in many cases his own mark is missing.
Mistress Ford is one of the two merry wives in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Mistress Ford is one of the two merry wives in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mistress Ford (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed porcelain |
| Brief description | Figurine of Mistress Ford in Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor, Samson & Company copy of a Crown Derby figure. French, late 19th century |
| Physical description | Figurine of Mistress Ford, standing on an integral base decorated with rococo patterns and gold lines. The right hand is on her hip, the left hand to her chin, and she wears a blue bodice decorated with gold sprigs of leaves and a turquoise skirt with floral patterns in maroon, green and purple. She wears a white wimple. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| Summary | This figurine of Mistress Ford, one of a series of Shakespeare characters, was made in Paris by the company of Edmé Samson, a famous copyist of pottery and porcelain. Samson established his factory in Paris in 1845, producing pieces inspired by and copied from the work of famous factories, including Meissen, Sèvres, Chelsea, Derby and all the major factories of England, France and Germany, as well as tin-glazed earthenware or faience. He claimed to mark all pieces with his own double 'S' mark as well as the mark of the original piece, but in many cases his own mark is missing. Mistress Ford is one of the two merry wives in The Merry Wives of Windsor. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.960-1996 |
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| Record created | February 20, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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