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Panther (originally carrying Cupid): C.867-1928

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Object information

Current Location: Gallery 27 (Glaisher)

Titles

Panther (originally carrying Cupid)

Maker(s)

Production: Wood, Ralph, II (Probably)

Entities

Categories

Description

Earthenware figure of a standing panther decorated with coloured lead glazes.

White earthenware moulded in several parts, and decorated with translucent blue tinted, green, and brown lead-glazes. A panther (or lioness) stands with its head turned to the left to look up at a (now missing) figure of Cupid astride its back. The panther is golden brown and its teeth are bared. It stands on a mound which is decorated green-tinged leaves, and is supported on a pearlware (blue-tinged) rectangular plinth with mouldings round the upper and lower edges. The underside is open and un-glazed.

Notes

History note: Bought from Madame L’Hote-Saintoin (?), 62 Grande rue, Boulogne-sur-Mer for 15 francs on 4 October 1913 by Dr. J.W.G. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge.

Legal notes

Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest, 1928

Measurements and weight

Height: 18 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Burslem ⪼ Staffordshire ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

18th Century, Late#
Circa 1780 CE - Circa 1795 CE

Note

The figures are exceptionally well modelled and other examples have been found with gilding. They were probably made by Ralph Wood II (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 panther was originally ridden by Cupid, turned to the left and holding a telescope up to the stars in its left hand. One of a pair, its companion has Cupid on a lion holding a globe (C.866-1928). The winged Cupid represents love, and riding or subduing a ferocious lion symbolises ‘love conquers all’, while the globe and link to the heavens suggest that love knows no boundaries. Glaisher in his MS Catalogue of his collection, and Rackham in his Catalogue of the Glaisher Collection, 1935, described this figure as a lioness. On the evidence of John Wood's account book, which mentions a pair of figures comprising a lion and a panther with cupids, it has been reidentified as a panther (see below).

School or Style

Neoclassical

Components of the work

Decoration composed of lead-glaze
Base Length 15.3 cm Width 9 cm
Parts

Materials used in production

Earthenware

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.867-1928
Primary reference Number: 76247
Old object number: 3690
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Saturday 24 June 2023 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

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 (2024) "Panther (originally carrying Cupid)" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76247 Accessed: 2024-11-02 14:42:20

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76247 |title=Panther (originally carrying Cupid) |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-02 14:42:20|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Panther (originally carrying Cupid)</figcaption>
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