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Coronation Mug : Edward VIII 1937
Factory:
Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Designer:
Ravilious, Eric William
Creamware mug transfer-printed in black, glazed and painted in blue and yellow enamels with the Royal Arms, 'ER' and '1937'.
Cream-coloured earthenware transfer-printed in black, glazed and painted in blue and yellow enamels. Cylindrical, with a reeded loop handle. On the lower half of the exterior: a design incorporating the date (1937), the Royal Arms and 'ER', over-painted with a solid band of cornflower blue. On the upper half: fireworks highlighted in yellow, on one side against a darkened sky. Inside, near the rim: 'ER' beneath a crown, not coloured. The underside is flat and glazed, with a narrow, raised foot-rim.
History note: Given by R S Hart, 1945; unknown before donor
Given by R.S. Hart
Diameter: 10.6 cm
Height: 10.2 cm
Method of acquisition: Given (1945) by Hart, R. S.
1930s
Edward VIII
1936
CE
-
1937
CE
Eric Ravilious (1903-42) studied engraving, illustration and colour printing at the Royal College of Art and by 1926-28 was exhibiting watercolours, producing book illustrations and commissioned to paint murals. In 1930 he married Eileen Lucy "Tirzah" Garwood (1908-1951) also a noted artist and engraver. From around 1936, he became one of Wedgwood’s most prolific freelance designers, although many of his designs were not produced in quantity until after World War II, during which he was killed while serving as a war artist with the Royal Marines. Wedgwood had revived the use of engraved designs in the mid 1930s – a mode of decoration which allowed the artist’s own work and ‘hand-writing’ to be reproduced in a factory setting, and well suited to Ravilious’ style.
Ravilious’ engraving for this mug was produced in 1936, for the Coronation of Edward VIII the following year, but the king abdicated before the event took place. The design was later adapted for the coronations of both George VI and Elizabeth II. Other Wedgwood commemorative ware by Ravilious includes a mug celebrating the company’s relocation to Barlaston in1939 and a ‘Boat Race Day’ bowl, cup and stand (1938). He also designed at least seven Wedgwood tableware services, each with a number of vignettes on a single everyday theme. His ‘Travel’ dinner service for six, produced in the 1950s and depicting travel through snow and by balloon, bus, train, aeroplane, steamboat and sail, cost £17 3s 6d. Earlier designs were engraved at the factory from Ravilious’ drawings; others, including the ‘Boat Race’ images, were lithographs drawn by Ravilious himself for direct application to the ware.
The Fitzwilliam Museum also holds a war-time watercolour by Ravilious, two books with his engravings a number of his prints, a book of Tirzah Ravilious’ engravings, and Wedgwood Coronation mugs designed by Richard Guyatt.
Decoration composed of enamels ( blue and yellow)
Clear glaze
Cream-coloured earthenware
Moulding
: Cream earthenware, transfer-printed and painted with enamels
Glazing (coating)
Inscription present: back-stamp in black with a crown above
Inscription present: (towards the rim, above and below the back-stamp)
Accession number: EC.1-1945
Primary reference Number: 11751
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) "Coronation Mug : Edward VIII 1937" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/11751 Accessed: 2024-04-25 01:12:27
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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/11751
|title=Coronation Mug : Edward VIII 1937
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-04-25 01:12:27|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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<div class="text-center">
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<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa6/EC_1_1945_281_29.jpg"
alt="Coronation Mug : Edward VIII 1937"
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<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Coronation Mug : Edward VIII 1937</figcaption>
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Accession Number: CM.1863-2003
Accession Number: CM.4-1938
Accession Number: CM.624-2013
Accession Number: CM.TR.2054-R
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