Shelley China crested ware 'Keep the home fires burning' ornament

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Shelley China

c. 1915

Overview

WWI era crested china ornament featuring a tableau of a domestic scene on the home front - a kitchen with wood stove burning fiercely and a large kettle boiling on top. The teapot awaits at the side for the hot water to make tea. A cat is soaking up the warmth on the floor on the other side of the stove.
The glazed china is ivory in colour with gold trims. A City of Bristol crest appears on the left hand side.
The words 'Keep the home fires burning' are written across the top. The maker's name appears on the underside of the base.

Historical information

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.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW00080

Item type

Themes

Social History
War and Conflict
War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Width

105 mm

Height or length

70 mm

Depth

25 mm

Inscriptions and markings

Along top of ornament:

"KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING"

On lower left of ornament:

Crest of the City of Bristol depicting two unicorns holding a shield featuring a ship and a castle.
The Latin motto "VIRTUTE ET INDUSTRIA", meaning 'virtue' or 'valour and industry' appears on a scroll above the words "CITY OF BRISTOL"

Underneath the ornament:

"SHELLEY CHINA
338
RD No. 662446"

Keywords

Place made

Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom

Year