Ophelia
Figurine
ca.1880 (made)
ca.1880 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This figurine of Ophelia, 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 | |
| Title | Ophelia (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed porcelain |
| Brief description | Figurine of Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Samson & Company copy of a Crown Derby figure. French, late 19th century |
| Physical description | Figurine of Ophelia standing on a rococo-style base decorated with gold lines, wearing a turquoise low-cut bodice with purple undersleeves, white ruffs at the end of the sleeves, and a white skirt patterned with a gold and red floral pattern. She has light brown hair, tied in a pink ribbon, and is holding a gold casket in front of her, with both hands. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Ophelia' (Inscribed 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 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | Hamlet |
| Summary | This figurine of Ophelia, 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.972-1996 |
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| Record created | February 23, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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