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French Liberty and British Liberty: C.1098-1928

An image of Jug
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An image of Jug
An image of Jug
An image of Jug
Current Location: Gallery 27 (Glaisher)

Titles

French Liberty and British Liberty

Maker(s)

Production: Unidentified Liverpool factory (Probably)

Entities

Categories

Description

Creamware jug transfer-printed with French Liberty contrasted with British Liberty

Creamware, transfer-printed onglaze in black and painted overglaze in blue, green, yellow, pale purple, and red enamels. The jug has an ovoid body which expands towards the base and towards the rim. It has a curved projecting lip and a loop handle. In an oval medallion on one side is a woman with a serpent wreathed round her head, tramplng on a headless corpse and holding in one hand a dagger, in the other a trident on the spikes of which a head and two hearts are impaled; in the background, a man hanging from a lamp-bracket, above, the title: FRENCH LIBERTY, below the words : ‘ATHEISIM, PERJURY,/REBELLION, TREASON, ANARCHY MURDER, EQUALITY, MADNESS, CRUELTY, INJUSTICE,/TREACHERY, INGRATITUDE, IDLENESS,/FAMINE, NATIONAL & PRIVATE RUIN,/MISERY’. In a medallion on the other side is Britannia holding scales, the cap of Liberty and the Magna Carta, sitting with a sleeping lion beside her on the seashore, to the right a British ship; title: ‘BRITISH LIBERTY’, below, the words: ‘RELIGION, MORALITY,/LOYALTY, OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS,/INDEPENDENCE, PERSONAL SECURITY,/JUSTICE INHERITANCE, PROTECTION,/PROPERTY, INDUSTRY, NATIONAL PROSPERITY,/HAPPINESS’. In an oval frame under the spout are the words ‘WHICH/IS/THE BEST’

Notes

History note: Stanley Woolston’s shop, Emmanuel Street, Cambridge; bought by Miss Parsons for 10s.0d. and given by her on 20 August, 1921 to Dr J.W.L. Glaisher FRS.

Legal notes

Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 21.4 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Dating

18th Century, Late
George III
Circa 1793 CE - 1800 CE

Note

The two scenes give contrasting views of how contemporaries in Britain and France experienced Liberty. The word ‘MURDER’ in the description of French Liberty probably indicates that the jug was made after the execution of Louis XVI on 23 January 1793.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamel ( blue, green, yellow, pale purple, and red) ceramic printing colour
Body

Materials used in production

cream Earthenware
Lead-glaze

Techniques used in production

Lead-glazing

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: FRENCH LIBERTY with below ATHEISIM, PERJURY, REBELLION, TREASON, ANARCHY MURDER, EQUALITY, MADNESS, CRUELTY, INJUSTICE, TREACHERY, INGRATITUDE, IDLENESS, FAMINE, NATIONAL & PRIVATE RUIN, MISERY\f1\fs18\par}
  • Location: On one side
  • Method of creation: Transfer-printed onglaze in black
  • Type: Inscription
  • Text: BRITISH LIBERTY\with below, RELIGION, MORALITY,/LOYALTY, OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS,/INDEPENDENCE, PERSONAL SECURITY,/JUSTICE INHERITANCE, PROTECTION,/PROPERTY, INDUSTRY, NATIONAL PROSPERITY,/HAPPINESS\f1\fs18\par}
  • Location: On other side
  • Method of creation: Transfer-printed onglaze in black
  • Type: Inscription
  • Text: WHICH/IS/THE BEST
  • Location: On front under lip
  • Method of creation: Transfer-printed onglaze in black
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.1098-1928
Primary reference Number: 71308
Old object number: 3814

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: 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 (2025) "French Liberty and British Liberty" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/71308 Accessed: 2025-12-05 15:37:37

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