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Albert Edward, Prince of Wales: C.1028-1928

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales

Maker(s)

Production: Unidentified factory

Entities

Categories

Description

White earthenware figure moulded in three parts and pearlware glazed. Painted with black, grey, yellow, red and flesh-pink enamels, and gilt.

Prince Albert stands erect in front of a rock. The oval base has ‘PRINCE’, in raised and gilded capitals, above an incised line. The figure is mainly white, with features picked out in enamels and gilt. His long jacket is edged and decorated in gilt, with gold buttons. His right hand is slightly raised and holds a yellow glove, his left is yellow-gloved and carries a top hat . His cravat and shoes are black. He wears a moustache. The underside is concave and glazed. The back is moulded, with a vent hole 8.5cm from the bottom.

Notes

History note: Bury St Edmunds; bought for five shillings in 1908, by Dr Glaisher, Trinity College, Cambridge

Legal notes

Dr J.W.L.Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Depth: 8 cm
Depth: 3.125 in
Height: 24.7 cm
Height: 9.75 in
Width: 10.5 cm
Width: 4.125 in

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

19th Century, Mid#
Victorian
Production date: circa AD 1863

Note

Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (1841-1910) was the second child and the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was betrothed to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in September 1862, and the couple were married on 10th March 1863. The existence of a companion figure of the Princess, and a similarly moulded figure group of the couple, indicate that this figure was probably made to celebrate the marriage.

Rackham (1935) lists this figure as of a type made chiefly by Sampson Smith at Longton, a factory listed in contemporary directories as a ‘manufacturer of figures in great variety’, which began around 1851 and continued to make figures in quantity into the early part of the twentieth century Sampson Smith figures typically have a plain oval base and raised gilt title, like this. But they were rarely marked, and there were many other, often smaller, manufacturers of figures working in Staffordshire at this time.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamels ( black, grey, yellow, red and flesh-pink) gold

Materials used in production

White earthenware
Lead-glaze

Techniques used in production

Press moulding : White earthenware moulded in three parts and pearlware glazed. Painted with black, grey, yellow, red and flesh-pink enamels, and gilt. The underside is concave and glazed. The back is moulded, with a vent hole 8.5cm from the bottom.
Painting
Lead-glazing
Gilding

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: raised and gilded capitals, above an incised line

  • Text: 'PRINCE'
  • Location: Front of base
  • Method of creation: Moulded and gilded
  • Type: Name

Inscription present: rectangular paper label

  • Text: No. 2948. Staffordshire figure. The Prince of Wales (King Edward VII) – b. at Bury St Edmunds Dec. 5 1908 – circa 1863
  • Location: Underside of base
  • Method of creation: Handwritten in black ink
  • Type: Label

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.1028-1928
Primary reference Number: 71191
Old object number: 2948
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) "Albert Edward, Prince of Wales" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/71191 Accessed: 2024-11-22 01:01:55

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/71191 |title=Albert Edward, Prince of Wales |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-22 01:01:55|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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