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Punch bowl: C.1557-1928

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An image of Punch bowl
An image of Punch bowl
An image of Punch bowl
Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Pottery: Unidentified Liverpool pottery

Entities

Categories

Description

Tin-glazed earthenware painted in blue

Buff earthenware, tin-glazed bluish-white and painted in blue. Circular with deep curved sides, standing on a footring. The interior is decorated with a central inscription: ‘How in his Mid-Career, the Spaniel struck,/stiff, by the tainted Gale, with open Nose/out-stretch’d & finely sensible, draws full,/ Fearfull, & Cautious, on the latent Prey;/Caught in the Messhy Snare, in vain they beat/their useless wings, intangled more & more:/ nor on the Surges of the boundless air, /tho’ born Triumphant, are they safe, the Gun/Glanc’d Just, and Sudden, from, the Fowler’s Eye/O’ertakes their Sounding pinions; and again,/I’mediate brings them from the towering Wing,/Dead to the ground; or drives them else dispersed,/Wounded & wheeling various, down the wind’. This is surrounded bu a narrow border of stylized striped leaves, and above below the rim, is a wide grape vine border. The exterior is decorated wth a continuous landscape including a cottage, two men with guns, six pointers, and a covey of partridges.

Notes

History note: Mr Stoner, London from whom purchased for £10 on 13 May 1918 by Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge

Legal notes

Dr J.W.L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 12.5 cm

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

18th Century, third quarter
George II
George III
Circa 1750 CE - 1765 CE

Note

Attributed to Bristol by Rackham (1935), but the border is comparable to other bowls attributable to Liverpool.

The inscription is taken from James Thomson (1700-48), 'Autumn', a blank verse poem, published in the first complete edition of 'The Four Seasons' in 1730.

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colour ( blue from cobalt)
Rim Diameter 30.7 cm

Materials used in production

bluish-white Tin-glaze
buff Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Throwing : Buff earthenware, thrown, tin-glazed, painted and sponged in blue
Tin-glazing

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: How in his mid-Career, the Spaniel struck/stiff, by the tainted Gale, with open Nose/outstretch'd & finely sensible, draws full./Fearfull & Cautious, on the latent Prey;/Caught in the Messhy Snare, in vain they beat/their useless wings, intangled more & more;/nor on the Surges of the boundless air,/tho' born Triumphant, are they safe, the Gun/Glanc'd Just, and Sudden, from the Fowler's Eye/O'ertakes their Sounding pinions;and again,/I'mediate brings them from the towering Wing,/Dead to the ground; or drives them else dispersed,/Wounded & wheeling various, down the wind.'\par}
  • Location: Inside
  • Method of creation: Painted in blue
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.1557-1928
Primary reference Number: 72218
Old object number: 4170

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 12 August 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 (2025) "Punch bowl" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/72218 Accessed: 2025-12-05 18:36:35

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/72218 |title=Punch bowl |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 18:36:35|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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