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Unknown
Decorator:
Unknown
(Possibly)
Creamware painted in black enamel with a pseudo-coat-of-arms for John Wilkes and an inscription
Cream-coloured earthenware with yellowish lead-glaze, painted in black enamel. Cylindrical, tapering slightly towards the top, with recessed base and reeded handle with pronounced 'kick'. Immediately below the rim, and about .6 cm up from the base there is a row of rouletted beading. The front is decorated with a pseudo coat-of-arms incorporating the words 'Habeas Corpus' and 'Mag./Char', supported by an English mastiff and a cock and surmounted by a helmet and Cap of Liberty. Below is the motto 'PRO REGE LEGE ET GREGE'. Above is a panel enclosing the words 'ARMS granted to JOHN WILKES Esq./the Assertor of British freedom. By Liberty/King at Arms.'. On each side of the panel, extending to the handle is a border of diaper work.
History note: Professor and Mrs Frank Goldby
Given by Professor and Mrs Frank Goldby
Height: 14.7 cm
Method of acquisition: Given (1995-11-20) by Goldby, Frank, Professor and Mrs
18th Century, Mid
George III
Circa
1770
CE
-
1775
CE
Attribution uncertain, probably Staffordshire or Yorkshire.This mug and the accompanying bowl (C.19-1995) appear to be one off items, as no others with the same decoration are known. They were probably decorated in an independent decorating workshop, possibly near where they were made, or in London, where a broadside probably celebrating Wilkes' release from the King's Bench Prison in April 1770, and featuring the pseudo arms, was advertised in the Public Advertiser on 22 June 1770. (see Documentation, Halfpenny, 2025, for the identification of this design source) A copy of the broadside, titled ' ARMS granted to JOHN WILKES Esq;/The ASSERTOR OF BRITISH FREEDOM', is in the British Museum (1868,0808.4407), and also a hand-drawn design. Both include a description of the charges on the shield reproduced on the creamware: '1. A General Warrant torn to rags; and, 2, A Bunch of broken Keys, denoting the Ruin of arbitrary Power. 3. The Tower of London, the Gates wide open, with a Flag bearing the white Horse (the Arms of the illustrious House of Hanover) and MAGNA CHARTA, denoting Freedom to all loyal Subjects and Friends to the Constitution; the words HABEAS CORPUS, under the open Gates, imply, that no British subject can be imprisoned contrary to Law. 4,5. Two Messengers in Mourning with a Handkerchief in one Hand, lamenting their lost Places; and in the other Hand, a Staff with a Greyhound on it, denoting their Offices.' The supporters and crest are also described.
Decoration
composed of
enamel
( black)
Base
Diameter 10.8 cm
Body
cream
Earthenware
Lead-glaze
Inscription present: division between LEGE and ET
Accession number: C.20-1995
Primary reference Number: 73017
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 (2025) "Mug" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73017 Accessed: 2025-04-29 17:06:39
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73017
|title=Mug
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-04-29 17:06:39|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-73017
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/aa2/C_20_1995_281_29.jpg"
alt="Mug"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Mug</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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