Current Location: In storage
Titles
Reaper representing Summer
Maker(s)
Production:
Unidentified Staffordshire factory
(Probably)
Entities
Categories
Description
Earthenware figure of a youth holding a sickle and a wheatsheaf painted in blue, olive-green, yellow, and brown under lead-glaze
White earthenware, moulded, painted in blue, olive-green, yellow, and brown under slightly blue tinted lead-glaze. The almost circular low base is closed and glazed underneath, and has a central ventilation hole. The reaper stands leaning against a tree trunk on a low mound decorated with two bunches of grapes and leaves, and part of a third. He stands with his weight on his left leg with his right slightly behind it. His head and body are turned to the viewer's right, and he holds a sheaf of corn under his right arm, and a sickle in his left. He has dark brown hair and eyes, a white shirt, yellow breeches, blue stockings and brown shoes. The corn is yellowish-brown and his sickle, green. The tree trunk is streaked with blue and brown. The circular base has green sides and a yellow border, both indented with small circular depressions.
Notes
History note: Robert Henry Soden Smith, FSA (1822-90); lent to the Victoria and Albert Museum; Sotheby's, 27 May 1909, part of lot 90 with a figure of Winter (C.845-1928); bought for £1.12s. by S. Fenton of Cranbourn Street, London, on behalf of Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge
Legal notes
Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest
Measurements and weight
Height: 20.9 cm
Acquisition and important dates
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed
(1928-12-07)
by
Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
Dating
18th Century, Late-19th Century, Early
Circa
1790
-
1810
Note
The youth probably repreents Summer from a set of Seasons, although Dr Glaisher identified it as Autumn
People, subjects and objects depicted
Components of the work
Decoration
composed of
high-temperature colours
( metallic oxides)
Surface
composed of
lead-glaze
Base
Depth 8.4 cm
Width 8.3 cm
Materials used in production
Earthenware
Techniques used in production
Press-moulding
: White earthenware, moulded, painted in blue, olive-green, yellow, and brown under slightly blue tinted lead-glaze. The base is closed and glazed underneath, and has a central ventilation hole.
Inscription or legends present
Inscription present: rectangular white paper stick on label with a blue line on top and right edge, and part of a plant motif in the two top corners
- Text: No 3018/Staffordshire/figure of a youth/holding corn & a/ sickle representing/Autumn./b. at Sotheby's/May 27 1909
- Location: On underside of base at the back
- Method of creation: Hand-written in faded black ink
- Type: Label
- Text: Received on loan from R Soden Smith FSA
- Location: No longer present
- Type: Label
References and bibliographic entries
Identification numbers
Accession number: C.847-1928
Primary reference Number: 76220
Old object number: 3018
Stable URI
Audit data
Created: Saturday 6 August 2011
Updated: Tuesday 30 April 2024
Last processed: Tuesday 15 July 2025
Associated departments & institutions
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
