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Lion carrying Cupid
Production: Wood, Ralph, II (Probably)
Earthenware figure group, press-moulded with modelled additions decorated with coloured lead glazes.
White earthenware, press-moulded in several parts, with modeled additions, and decorated with in clear blue-tinted, greyish-blue, green, yellowish-brown, and pale manganese-pink lead-glazes. A lion stands with tail between his rear legs and head turned to the right to look up at a half standing figure of Cupid mounted on its back. The lion’s teeth are bared. Cupid, originally with wings, is holding a globe in his left hand and drawing on it with a quill in his right. The lion is golden brown, the Cupid is flesh-toned, with blond hair and a blue quiver. They stand on a shallow mound decorated with green leaves, supported on a rectangular plinth with moulding round the upper and lower edges, covered with slightly blue-tinged glaze. The underside is open and un-glazed.
History note: Bought from Madame L’Hote-Saintoin, 62 Grande rue, Boulogne-sur-Mer by Dr. J.W.G. Glaisher, Trinity College, Cambridge. Dr Glaisher paid 15 francs for the lion on 2 June 1913 and 8 francs for the panther (already missing its rider) on 4 October 1913. According to the vendor, both pieces were from the same previous owner.
Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest
Height: 20.5 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
18th Century, Late#
George III
Circa
1782
CE
-
Circa
1795
CE
The figures are exceptionally well modelled and other examples have been found with gilding. They were probably made by Ralph Wood (1748-95) of Burslem, whose father was also a modeller and mould-maker (Ralph Wood, d. 1772). Ralph jnr. learned his trade through apprenticeship at Wedgwood, while his brother John trained at Wedgwood’s London warehouse/salerooms. Ralph was briefly in partnership with his cousin Enoch before establishing his Burslem business, which was continued after his death by his son (another Ralph). John Wood is known to have bought figures from his brother and his account book of 9 December 1785 notes the sale of ‘1 pair Lyon & Panther with cupids coloured & Gilt 4.6d’ to a Mr John Edwards.
This is one of pair, its companion piece having Cupid on a panther (or lioness), looking up to the stars through a telescope. The winged cupid represents love, and riding or subduing a ferocious lion symbolises ‘love conquers all’; the globe and link to the heavens suggest that love knows no boundaries.
Decoration
composed of
lead-glaze
( clear blue-tinted, blue, green, yellowish-brown, and pale manganese-pink)
Base
Length 15.2 cm
Width 9 cm
Parts
Accession number: C.866-1928
Primary reference Number: 76246
Old object number: 3614
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) "Lion carrying Cupid" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76246 Accessed: 2024-12-22 15:10:45
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76246
|title=Lion carrying Cupid
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-22 15:10:45|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-76246
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/aa8/C_866_1928_281_29.jpg"
alt="Lion carrying Cupid"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Lion carrying Cupid</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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