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Lion spill-vase (facing left): C.868A-1984

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Object information

Current Location: Gallery 27 (Glaisher)

Titles

Lion spill-vase (facing left)

Maker(s)

Production: Unidentified factory (Perhaps Dudson?)

Entities

Categories

Description

White earthenware moulded in several parts with small shards of clay added, and lead-glazed. Painted in black, brown, green, yellow, pink and orange enamels, and gilt.

The lion stands with head to the left and facing forwards, on rocky ground and leaning against a tree trunk which is open at the top to form a spill-vase. The lion’s tail runs down its left hind leg, which is raised slightly above the base. The figure is well coloured. The lion’s back is green-brown and its mane red-brown; its eyes are outlined in black and its eyebrows, muzzle and paws are also black. The ground is painted in patches of yellow, green and brown; the tree trunk is brown with a green climbing plant and two branch stubs edged with shards of clay. The inside of the vase is orange. The long oval base is wavy to the front, which bears a gilt line. The underside is concave and glazed. The back is flat, though with some moulded shape.

Notes

History note: From the collection of the late Colonel R.G.Turner.

Measurements and weight

Depth: 5 cm
Depth: 2 in
Height: 15.6 cm
Height: 6.125 in
Width: 11.3 cm
Width: 4.5 in

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1984) by Cameron, J.E., Mrs

Dating

19th Century, Mid#
Victorian
Circa 1850 CE - Circa 1865 CE

Note

James Dudson at Hanley made a large number of animal figures in the 1830s-40s; from around 1850 until 1865 they made flat-backed figures. The quality of painting on these lions, the outlining of the eyes, and the markings on the flat-backs suggest that they could perhaps be Dudson figures. But there were many other manufacturers of figures working in Staffordshire at this time.

This animal figure is a pair, its companion being a right-facing lion with spill-vase, which is also in the Fitzwilliam collection. Spill vases held tightly rolled scraps of newspaper. They were kept on the mantle-shelf to light the fire, as matches were expensive.

School or Style

Victorian

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamels ( black, brown, green, yellow, pink and orange) gold

Materials used in production

White earthenware
Lead-glaze

Techniques used in production

Press-moulding : White earthenware moulded in several parts with small shards of clay added, and lead-glazed. Painted in black, brown, green, yellow, pink and orange enamels, and gilt. The underside is concave and glazed. The back is flat, though with some moulded shape.
Lead-glazing

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.868A-1984
Primary reference Number: 76250
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 16 January 2018 Last processed: Friday 16 February 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Lion spill-vase (facing left)" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/76250 Accessed: 2024-11-21 23:52:51

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/76250 |title=Lion spill-vase (facing left) |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-21 23:52:51|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Lion spill-vase (facing left)</figcaption>
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