These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.
Download this imageCreative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.
Production:
Bristol Pottery
Decorator:
Fifield, William
(Probably)
White earthenware barrel, lead-glazed, painted in polychrome enamels with flowers and foliage between horizontal bands, and inscribed with the initials and date, J/E R/1835
White earthenware with slightly blue tinted lead-glaze, painted in blue, green, yellow, pink, red, and maroon enamels. The barrel has a recessed top and base, and bands of horizontal reeding on either side of the plain central zone. On one side there is a projecting rim surrounding the bung hole. The top and base have a pink spot in the centre surrounded by maroon circles of different widths. The reeding on the upper and lower part of the sides is decorated with horizontal maroon bands separating wider bands of pink, green, and pink. The central zone has two arrangements of flowers and foliage, including roses, and a tulip. Around the bung hole, painted in brown script lettering are the initials and dated J/E R/1835.
History note: Sotheby's, 30 November 1928, part of lot 13
Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest
Diameter: 10.3 cm
Height: 12 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
19th Century, second quarter#
William IV
Production date:
dated
AD 1835
Barrels like this are sometimes inscribed Gin or Rum, but they could have held other liquors. On accession this was described as a scent barrel, but that seems an unlikely use on account of its size. The enamel round the spigot is still in pristine condition, which suggests that it may not have been used for long before becoming an ornament.
Decoration composed of enamel ( blue, green, yellow, pink, red, maroon)
Inscription present: J above bung hole, E to left, R to right, and 1835 below
Accession number: C.1115-1928
Primary reference Number: 71338
Old object number: R.1898
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Spirit barrel" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/71338 Accessed: 2024-12-22 20:57:23
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/71338
|title=Spirit barrel
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-22 20:57:23|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-71338
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa8/C_1115_1928_281_29.jpg" alt="Spirit barrel" class="img-fluid" /> <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Spirit barrel</figcaption> </figure> </div>
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...