Not on display

Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew

Figurine
ca.1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This figurine of Katherine, 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.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleKatherine in The Taming of the Shrew (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Glazed porcelain
Brief description
Figurine of Katherine in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew, Samson & Company copy of a Crown Derby figure. French, late 19th century
Physical description
Figurine of Katherine standing on a rococo-style base decorated with gold lines, wearing a dress with a dark blue bodice and a square-cut neckline, stand-up collar, slashed sleeves revealing yellow lining, white cuffs, and a yellow skirt decorated with floral patterns within floral-shaped roundels edged in magenta, with a turquoise overskirt. She is looking straight in front of her and has her right hand to her bodice, her left to her skirt.
Dimensions
  • Height: 15.0cm
  • Approximate maximum width width: 6.5cm
  • Of base width: 5.1cm
  • Of base depth: 5.9cm
Marks and inscriptions
'Katharine' (Inscribe in black on the base in cursive script.)
Credit line
Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996
Literary referenceThe Taming of the Shrew
Summary
This figurine of Katherine, 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.


Collection
Accession number
S.971-1996

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Record createdFebruary 23, 2006
Record URL
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