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Queen Victoria and the Princess Royal: C.1000-1928

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Queen Victoria and the Princess Royal

Maker(s)

Production: John & Rebecca Lloyd (Probably)

Entities

Categories

Description

White earthenware figure group moulded in three parts, with small rough shards of clay added to outline a cloak, and lead glazed. Painted under-glaze in lightly applied cobalt-blue, and with black, brown, orange, dark and light pink, green, red and flesh-pink enamels, and gilt.

The Queen sits on a chair, holding the infant Princess Royal, and framed by a richly edged cloak. The figure is well coloured. The Queen wears a long blue gown with a scooped neck trimmed with gilt-edged lace; a gilt-lined coronet and black shoes; her left foot rests on an orange cushion, atop a foot-stool; her hair is brown. The baby wears a long white gown, decorated with tiny pink, red and green flowers, and a mob cap; she sits on a pale pink shawl, facing forwards. The facial features of both Queen and Princess are finely painted. The circular base is plain, except for a gilt line which runs across the front, its ends dipping down to the bottom. The underside is concave and glazed. The back is flat and undecorated, except for the head and cloak trim. There is no visible vent hole.

Notes

History note: Mr Frost, Bridge Street, Hitchin Bought on 31 July 1906, for 5/- (five shillings), by Dr Glaisher, Trinity College, Cambridge. The piece had come from Northampton.

Legal notes

Dr J.W.L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Depth: 7.75 cm
Depth: 3 in
Height: 17 cm
Height: 6.75 in
Width: 7.75 cm
Width: 3 in

Place(s) associated

  • Shelton ⪼ Staffordshire ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Dating

19th Century, Mid#
Victorian
Production date: circa AD 1841

Note

Rackham (1935) lists it as of a type made chiefly by Sampson Smith at Longton, but the factory not thought to have been started until 1851, and there were many other manufacturers of figures working in Staffordshire at this time.

The figure was probably made by John and Rebecca Lloyd, who made both earthenware and porcelain figures at Shelton, between 1834 and 1852. Although it is unmarked, other than an impression on the back which yields no information, there exist several other examples which bear the mark ‘Lloyd/Shelton’ on the reverse. Lloyd factory figures are notable for their delicate and well-fired use of colours and gilt – seen here in the thinly applied blue of the dress and the gilt-lace-edged collar – and for their use of small shards or extrusions of clay to denote fur edging.

This figure has a pair, its companion being a seated figure of Prince Albert.

Victoria (1819-1901) was the longest reigning British monarch and the figurehead of a vast empire. She oversaw huge changes in British society and gave her name to an age. The daughter of the fourth son of George III, she came to the throne in 1837 and married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, Princess Royal (1840-1901), was the eldest of their nine children.

School or Style

Victorian

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamels ( black, brown, orange, dark and light pink, green, red and flesh-pink) underglaze cobalt-blue gold

Materials used in production

White earthenware
Lead-glaze

Techniques used in production

Press-moulding : White earthenware moulded in three parts, with small rough shards of clay added to outline a cloak, and lead glazed. Painted under-glaze in lightly applied cobalt-blue, and with black, brown, orange, dark and light pink, green, red and flesh-pink enamels, and gilt. The underside is concave and glazed. The back is flat and undecorated, except for the head and cloak trim. There is no visible vent hole.
Lead-glazing

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Small impression in the glaze, on the back, 10.5cm from the bottom

  • Location: Back
  • Method of creation: Impression
  • Type: Mark

Inscription present: Rectangular paper label, handwritten in black script: ‘

  • Text: No. 2584. Staffodshire figure of Queen Victoria and Princess Royal on a chair (1841). Came from Northampton b. at Hitchin, July 31 [deleted date] (1906).
  • Location: Underside of base
  • Method of creation: Handwritten in black ink
  • Type: Label

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.1000-1928
Primary reference Number: 71117
Old object number: 2584
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 18 December 2023 Last processed: Monday 18 December 2023

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) "Queen Victoria and the Princess Royal" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/71117 Accessed: 2024-12-18 17:57:55

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/71117 |title=Queen Victoria and the Princess Royal |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-18 17:57:55|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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