Victoria pierced
Centrepiece
1851 (made)
1851 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This tiered centrepiece for a dessert service is a shape which Minton called an 'assiette montée'. It was intended partly as a table ornament and partly for serving sweetmeats or fruit.
People
The designer and figure-modeller, Pierre-Emile Jeannest (1813-1857) was the son of a French bronzier and pupil of Delaroche. He worked for Minton for several years between about 1848 and 1854. Thomas Kirkby (1824-1890) was a leading Minton painter and designer who spent over 50 years with the factory.
Places
This piece is a duplicate of part of a 116-piece dessert service shown by Minton at the Great Exhibition. The replica was specially made for the Museum of Manufactures at Marlborough House. It was acquired because of its 'successful turquoise colour' and as an example of 'the highest state of English ceramic manufacture'. Queen Victoria had been so struck by the appearance of the original service when she attended the preview of the Great Exhibition that she purchased it. After the close of the Exhibition she presented it to the Emperor of Austria. It can now be seen in the Hofsilber -und Tafelkammer at the Hofburg in Vienna.
Materials & Making
The combination of glazed and decorated bone china with unglazed Parian figures was praised by the Great Exhibition jury for its 'original design, high degree of beauty and harmony of effect', though some objected to it. John Tallis, in his History and Description of the Crystal Palace (1852) also praises the 'bleu celeste' (turquoise colour) as being 'scarcely inferior to that of old Sèvres', which it was largely emulating.
This tiered centrepiece for a dessert service is a shape which Minton called an 'assiette montée'. It was intended partly as a table ornament and partly for serving sweetmeats or fruit.
People
The designer and figure-modeller, Pierre-Emile Jeannest (1813-1857) was the son of a French bronzier and pupil of Delaroche. He worked for Minton for several years between about 1848 and 1854. Thomas Kirkby (1824-1890) was a leading Minton painter and designer who spent over 50 years with the factory.
Places
This piece is a duplicate of part of a 116-piece dessert service shown by Minton at the Great Exhibition. The replica was specially made for the Museum of Manufactures at Marlborough House. It was acquired because of its 'successful turquoise colour' and as an example of 'the highest state of English ceramic manufacture'. Queen Victoria had been so struck by the appearance of the original service when she attended the preview of the Great Exhibition that she purchased it. After the close of the Exhibition she presented it to the Emperor of Austria. It can now be seen in the Hofsilber -und Tafelkammer at the Hofburg in Vienna.
Materials & Making
The combination of glazed and decorated bone china with unglazed Parian figures was praised by the Great Exhibition jury for its 'original design, high degree of beauty and harmony of effect', though some objected to it. John Tallis, in his History and Description of the Crystal Palace (1852) also praises the 'bleu celeste' (turquoise colour) as being 'scarcely inferior to that of old Sèvres', which it was largely emulating.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Victoria pierced (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Parian and glazed bone china, painted and gilt |
| Brief description | Centrepiece of glazed porcelain supported by Parian ware figures. British (Stoke-on-Trent), 1851. Made by Minton's, the Parian figures modelled by Pierre-Emile Jeannest. |
| Physical description | Centrepiece of glazed porcelain with Parian ware figures. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | The centrepiece was bought from the Great Exhibition of 1851. It is a duplicate of part of a dessert service presented to the Empress of Austria by Queen Victoria. Historical significance: Queen Victoria puchased a 116 piece 'Victoria pierced' dessert service in bleu celeste at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The queen was overwhelmed by the spectacular service with allegorical figure supports modelled by Pierre-Emile Jeannest. She previewed the exhibition the day before the official opening and wrote in her journal 'We saw beautiful china from Minton's factory and beautiful designs'. She purchased the service as a gift for the Empress of Prussia but gave permission for it to remain on display for the duration of the exhibition. The service was unique because it was the first time that bone china and Parian had been used together. It was the centre of attention and caused considerable controversy. It was described in the Art Journal as a service 'of exceeding beauty, designed with pure artistic skill and exhibiting in manipulation and finish, a degree of refinement that has rarely if ever been surpassed in modern art' but some objected to the mixing of Parian and porcelain bodies as detracting from the unity of the object. Richard Redgrave commented upon the success of the gilding on the Parian. |
| Production | Exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. |
| Association | |
| Summary | Object Type This tiered centrepiece for a dessert service is a shape which Minton called an 'assiette montée'. It was intended partly as a table ornament and partly for serving sweetmeats or fruit. People The designer and figure-modeller, Pierre-Emile Jeannest (1813-1857) was the son of a French bronzier and pupil of Delaroche. He worked for Minton for several years between about 1848 and 1854. Thomas Kirkby (1824-1890) was a leading Minton painter and designer who spent over 50 years with the factory. Places This piece is a duplicate of part of a 116-piece dessert service shown by Minton at the Great Exhibition. The replica was specially made for the Museum of Manufactures at Marlborough House. It was acquired because of its 'successful turquoise colour' and as an example of 'the highest state of English ceramic manufacture'. Queen Victoria had been so struck by the appearance of the original service when she attended the preview of the Great Exhibition that she purchased it. After the close of the Exhibition she presented it to the Emperor of Austria. It can now be seen in the Hofsilber -und Tafelkammer at the Hofburg in Vienna. Materials & Making The combination of glazed and decorated bone china with unglazed Parian figures was praised by the Great Exhibition jury for its 'original design, high degree of beauty and harmony of effect', though some objected to it. John Tallis, in his History and Description of the Crystal Palace (1852) also praises the 'bleu celeste' (turquoise colour) as being 'scarcely inferior to that of old Sèvres', which it was largely emulating. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 454-1854 |
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| Record created | June 23, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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