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Plate: C.2332-1928

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Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Tin-glazed earthenware plate painted with two men in a hot air balloon.

Tin-glazed earthenware painted in blue, green, yellow, orange, manganese-purple, and black. The circular plate has an alternately curved and indented rim, deep sloping sides, and flat centre. The middle is decorated with a yellow and orange hot striped air balloon with two men in the blue car suspended below it by ropes. The Both men wear yellow jackets. Theman on the viewer's left has a black hat and is holding a blue pennant. The one on the right holds a yellow pennant. He has lost his tricorne hat which is falling down below the balloon. Just below the outer edge, there is a border of a grey band and a scalloped green band.

Notes

History note: Bought in Rouen in 1901 by Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge

Legal notes

Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 22.6 cm
Height: 3.3 cm

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

18th Century, Late
Circa 1783 - 1785

Note

The figures may represent Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, who engineered the first balloon flights in 1783, initially without human occupants.

School or Style

faience populaire

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high temperature colours ( blue, green, yellow, orange, manganese-purple, and black)
Surface composed of tin-glaze

Materials used in production

Earthenware

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.2332-1928
Primary reference Number: 73372
Old object number: 1448

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 26 August 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) "Plate" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/73372 Accessed: 2025-12-05 17:00:05

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/73372 |title=Plate |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 17:00:05|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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