Vase and Cover
1851 (exhibited), 1846-1851 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
One of a pair of extravagant vases (with museum number CIRC.481&A-1963) designed to be solely exhibition pieces. They were never intended for general production as they were so large and expensive to make. However, they functioned as advertisements for the firm's skills. Meigh's may also have hoped that the Royal Family would have admired their exhibition vases sufficiently to buy them.
People
Charles Meigh & Son, of Old Hall Pottery, Hanley, was a family company which had begun in about 1790, and later became known simply as Old Hall. Most of the firm's products were earthenwares and stone china of a smaller more functional nature, although porcelain and Parian were exhibited at the Great Exhibition, where the company won a prize medal.
Subjects Depicted
These vases were popular exhibits at the Great Exhibition because of their finely painted views of the Crystal Palace on one side, and patriotic portraits of the Queen and Prince Consort on the other. To our eyes, these paintings are rather strangely juxtaposed with moulded gilt fronds, foliage and birds, but they demonstrate the prevalent Victorian interest in natural history and naturalistic forms.
One of a pair of extravagant vases (with museum number CIRC.481&A-1963) designed to be solely exhibition pieces. They were never intended for general production as they were so large and expensive to make. However, they functioned as advertisements for the firm's skills. Meigh's may also have hoped that the Royal Family would have admired their exhibition vases sufficiently to buy them.
People
Charles Meigh & Son, of Old Hall Pottery, Hanley, was a family company which had begun in about 1790, and later became known simply as Old Hall. Most of the firm's products were earthenwares and stone china of a smaller more functional nature, although porcelain and Parian were exhibited at the Great Exhibition, where the company won a prize medal.
Subjects Depicted
These vases were popular exhibits at the Great Exhibition because of their finely painted views of the Crystal Palace on one side, and patriotic portraits of the Queen and Prince Consort on the other. To our eyes, these paintings are rather strangely juxtaposed with moulded gilt fronds, foliage and birds, but they demonstrate the prevalent Victorian interest in natural history and naturalistic forms.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Stoneware, with relief moulding and painted decoration in enamels and gilding |
| Brief description | Vase and cover with relief moulding and painted decoration in enamels and gilding, with a portrait of Queen Victoria and an exterior view of the Crystal Palace. English, 1851. Made by Charles Meigh and Son. |
| Physical description | The vase is decorated with a portrait of Queen Victoria on one side and an exterior view of the Crystal Palace on the other. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | One of a pair made to commemorate the Great Exhibition of 1851. Manufactured by Charles Meigh & Son, in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Purchased for £420 (with Circ.481&A-1963, its pair) from Kenway Antiques, Earl's Court, London. Historical significance: The vase shows the eclectic use of historical styles during the early Victorian period as well as the prevalent interest in naturalistic plant forms which had emerged partly as a result of the discoveries made in the field of natural history at this time in the use of motifs like the swirling tendril leaves rising up the side of the vase from the base. |
| Historical context | This vase and its pair were made as exhibition pieces for display at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The intense competition for recognition and sales at exhibitions prompted manufacturers to invest in the development of new techniques and to employ the best designers, modellers and decorators to produce pieces specifically for show. Such exhibition pieces were never intended for general manufacture as they were extremely expensive to produce. They functioned as advertisements for the firm as they were often described in journals and magazines. This vase was illustrated in the Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition (p.720) with a description of the display. |
| Production | Exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. One of a pair with CIRC.481-1963. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | Object Type One of a pair of extravagant vases (with museum number CIRC.481&A-1963) designed to be solely exhibition pieces. They were never intended for general production as they were so large and expensive to make. However, they functioned as advertisements for the firm's skills. Meigh's may also have hoped that the Royal Family would have admired their exhibition vases sufficiently to buy them. People Charles Meigh & Son, of Old Hall Pottery, Hanley, was a family company which had begun in about 1790, and later became known simply as Old Hall. Most of the firm's products were earthenwares and stone china of a smaller more functional nature, although porcelain and Parian were exhibited at the Great Exhibition, where the company won a prize medal. Subjects Depicted These vases were popular exhibits at the Great Exhibition because of their finely painted views of the Crystal Palace on one side, and patriotic portraits of the Queen and Prince Consort on the other. To our eyes, these paintings are rather strangely juxtaposed with moulded gilt fronds, foliage and birds, but they demonstrate the prevalent Victorian interest in natural history and naturalistic forms. |
| Associated objects |
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| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.374&A-1963 |
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| Record created | June 23, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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