Skip to main content

VV la liberté 1791: C.2328-1928

An image of Plate
View image details

Terms of use

The low-resolution images published on this Website are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY-NC-ND). For more details: Fitzwilliam Terms of Use

This licence does not include any images of works that are still in copyright. Artistic copyright extends from the life of the artist to 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the artist died.

Download this image

For further information on use of images or to license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who can discuss terms and fees.

Current Location: In storage

Titles

VV la liberté 1791

Maker(s)

Production: Unidentified Nevers pottery

Entities

Categories

Description

Tin-glazed earthenware painted in blue, yellow, manganese-purple, and purplish-grey. The circular plate has a slightly wavy edge, a sloping rim, and a flat centre. It is decorated in the middle with a trophy comprising a bird-cage with an open door, a pastoral staff or crozier, a sword and a spade, accompanied by the inscription 'VV la liberté/1791. On the sloping rim there is a border of dotted festoons enclosing a stylized leaf bordered by a narrow line encircling the edge.

Legal notes

Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Diameter At Rim: 34 cm

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

18th Century, Late
Louis XVI
Production date: dated AD 1791 : although dated 1791 the plate might be a year or two later

Note

Faïenciers responded to the French Revolution by producing pottery - particularly dishes and plates - decorated with patriotic slogans and symbols, known today as faïences patriotiques. Nevers, an important centre for the manufacture of faïence since the late sixteenth century, was a major producer. On this plate 'Vive la liberté (Long live Liberty) is accompanied by the emblem of the people: a crozier, a sword, and a spade, symbolising the three estates united in the defence of liberty, represented by the open birdcage. In September 1791 the King agreed to a new Constitution drafted by the National Assembly.

School or Style

faience populaire

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colours ( blue, yellow, manganese-purple, purplish-grey)

Materials used in production

Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Tin-glazing

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.2328-1928
Primary reference Number: 73367
Old object number: 1323

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 20 May 2025

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) "VV la liberté 1791" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/73367 Accessed: 2025-12-05 09:46:59

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/73367 |title=VV la liberté 1791 |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 09:46:59|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-73367

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:

<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa11/C_2328_1928.jpg"
        alt="VV la liberté 1791"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">VV la liberté 1791</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...

University of Cambridge Museums logo
Cambridge City Council logo
Arts Council England Logo
Research England logo