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Figure of a bear
Production: Unidentified factory
White earthenware press moulded in several parts, with modelled motifs added, and pearlware glazed. Decorated with overglaze transfer letters and with two spots of black enamel.
The bear stands on four feet, its claws extended, its head down and nose turned slightly to the right; the clay body has been moulded to suggest fur. A ribbon runs around the left hand side of the bear’s back, inscribed ‘ATKINSON’S GENUINE BEARS GREASE’ in black transfer capitals. The oval base is 3.5cm deep, with flat sides and with flower and leaf motifs added to the top. The front of the base is inscribed ‘BEARS GREASE’, and the back ’24 OLD BOND STREET’, in black capitals. The figure is mainly white, eyes painted in black and transferred words. The back is fully moulded. The underside is concave and glazed, with four vent holes.
Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest
Depth: 37.5 cm
Depth: 14.75 in
Height: 23 cm
Height: 9 in
Width: 23 cm
Width: 9 in
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
19th Century, Mid#
Victorian
Circa
1830
CE
-
Circa
1850
CE
Bear’s grease was a used to give a sleek look to the hair. Some users believed it had regenerative powers for restoring hair, or for restoring its natural colour. According to some sources, bear’s oil was being advertised for use on the hair as early as 1822. By the late 1830s bear’s grease and bear’s oil were one of the more popular hair pomades.
James Atkinson’s Bears Grease advertisements have also been found on pot lids.
This unusually large animal figure is believed to have come from Staffordshire, though the maker has not been identified.
Decoration composed of enamels ( black) transfers
Press-moulded
: White earthenware press moulded in several parts, with modelled motifs added, and pearlware glazed. Decorated with overglaze transfer letters and with two spots of black enamel. The back is fully moulded. The underside is concave and glazed, with four vent holes.
Lead-glazed
Inscription present: A ribbon runs around the left hand side of the bear’s back, inscribed ‘ATKINSON’S GENUINE BEARS GREASE’ in black transfer capitals.
Inscription present: The front of the base is inscribed ‘BEARS GREASE’.
Inscription present: black capitals
Accession number: C.35-1928
Primary reference Number: 74641
Old object number: G23
Glaisher: Gl.73
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Figure of a bear" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/74641 Accessed: 2024-12-22 17:17:39
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/74641
|title=Figure of a bear
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-22 17:17:39|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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-74641
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/aa7/C_35_1928_281_29.jpg"
alt="Figure of a bear"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Figure of a bear</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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