Skip to main content

Widow and Orphans: C.915-1928

An image of Figure group
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.

Alternative views

An image of Figure group
An image of Figure group
An image of Figure group
Current Location: In storage

Titles

Widow and Orphans

Maker(s)

Production: Wood, Enoch (Possibly)

Entities

Categories

Description

Lead-glazed earthenware figure of a woman with a baby and two little girls painted in polychrome enamels and inscribed on the base 'Widow/&/Orphans'

White earthenware, press-moulded, lead-glazed, and painted in blue, turquoise, green, yellow, flesh pink, red, lilac, dark brown, and black enamels. The underside is glazed and open and has a circular ventilation hole near the front. The figures are supported on a round straight-sided mound base with a tree trunk on the viewer's right, and a small pile of fire wood on the ground beside it. The widow stands with her left hand raised and her right hand extended to the front, holding a coin in the upturned palm of her hand. She carries a baby on her back, and has a little girl kneeling in front of her and a little boy with a heap of fire wood on his head standing further to the left. The woman has a white scarf over her brown hair, and wears a long blue short-sleeved dress patterned in black and green, and a yellow cloak with a turquoise lining. The kneeling girl has a blue headband on her dark brown hair, and wears a lilac dress with a green belt and cuffs. The little boy has a red tunic, green breeches, and black shoes. The base is coloured in shades of green and black, and on the front has an oval reserve inscribed 'Widow/&/Orphans' within a black frame.

Notes

History note: J. Staal & Co, South Molton Street, London, W. where bought for £3.10s. on 20 November 1911 by Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge

Legal notes

Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Depth: 12.4 cm
Height: 26.9 cm

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

1820s
George IV
Circa 1820 - 1830

Note

In Rackham's Catalogue of the Glaisher Collection . . ., 1935, this group was attributed probably to Enoch Wood's factory after the end of his partnership with James Caldwell in 1818.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamels ( pale blue, blue, green, turquoise, yellow, lilac, flesh pink, red, brown, and black)
Surface composed of lead-glaze ( very slightly tinted blue, visible under the base)
Base Width 12.7 cm

Materials used in production

white Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Press-moulding : White earthenware, press-moulded, lead-glazed and painted in pale blue, blue, green, turquoise, yellow, lilac, flesh pink, red, brown, and black enamels; the underside of the base is glazed and open and has a ventilation hole near the front

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: on reserved oval panel

  • Text: Widow/& Orphans
  • Location: On front of base in reserved panel
  • Method of creation: Painted in black enamel
  • Type: Inscription

Inscription present: rectangular white paper stick on label with two red lines round all but the lower edge

  • Text: No 3511/Staffordshire/group "Widow/and orphans"/b. in London/Nov 20 1911
  • Location: On underside of base
  • Method of creation: Hand written in black ink
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: circular white paper stick on label

  • Text: W E
  • Location: On underside of base
  • Method of creation: Hand written in black ink
  • Type: Label

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.915-1928
Primary reference Number: 76356
Old object number: 3511

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 30 April 2024

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) "Widow and Orphans" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76356 Accessed: 2025-12-05 11:29:07

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/76356 |title=Widow and Orphans |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 11:29:07|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-76356

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/aa2/C_915_1928_281_29.jpg"
        alt="Widow and Orphans"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Widow and Orphans</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