Florentine China crested ware - London Cenotaph
c. 1920Hollow, off-white china ornament depicting the World War One memorial in London - The Cenotaph.
It has a tiered rectangular base and tapers towards the top. The central area bears the coat of arms of Brentwood, beneath which the words 'The blood of heroes is the seed of freedom' are written in black. Above this is a gilded wreath.
There is also a line of gold around the bottom of the ornament. The sides are plain while the back has another wreath, although without gilding.
The maker's name is written in black ink on the bottom.
Crested china collecting became a craze in the Victorian period when tourists bought small, hollow, off-white coloured porcelain ornaments decorated with the coats of arms of the towns they visited to take home as a souvenir.
Before World War One, pottery companies including Adderleys, Arcadian, Carlton, Clifton, Florentine, Grafton, Podmore, Savoy, Shelley, Swan, Willow Art, and W H Goss, mainly from the Stoke -on-Trent area, made miniature collectibles such as vases, plates and other crockery, houses, public buildings, cars and replicas of visitor attractions. During the war, the range of souvenirs was expanded to include military caps, equipment and vehicles.
Crested china ornaments are also known as ‘Heraldic China’ or ‘Heraldic Souvenir Ware’.
There are several examples in the collection made by a variety of makers.
There are two crested ware pieces depicting the London Cenotaph. This is the larger of the two.
Details
Details
On front of ornament:
"BRENTWOOD"
"The blood of heroes
is the seed of
freedom."
On base of ornament:
"FLORENTINE CHINA
MADE IN ENGLAND"
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