Charger
Artist
Samuel Malkin
(English, 1688 - 1741)
Dateca. 1715-1720
MediumEarthenware with lead glaze
DimensionsOverall: 13 3/4 inches (34.93 cm)
Credit LineGift of Frank P. Burnap
Object number53-5
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 112
Collections
DescriptionA moulded slipware dish by Samuel Malkin, decorated in light and dark brown slip on a pale ground with the head of Charles II in a formal oak tree, flanked by the moulded initials S.M. perhaps Jacobite.Gallery LabelThis charger's decoration refers to a famous incident in British history when King Charles II, trying to take control of England, escaped from Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 by hiding in an oak tree. The tree is now known as the Royal Oak or Boscobel Oak, named for its location in the Boscobel Wood in Shropshire.
The use of political motifs on 17th- and 18th-century ceramics is much like today's use of political imagery: to display loyalty to a political party or cause. Many of the images of English royalty on the objects in this case were inspired by popular paintings and prints that were translated onto ceramic objects. The large dishes in this case, called chargers, were primarily decorative pieces though they may have been used for serving on special occasions.
These delftware chargers represent ceramic objects that were used as blatant propaganda. King Charles I (reign 1625-49) was unpopular for his excessive spending and careless leadership. Here, with sword drawn, the king is portrayed as a successful and powerful military leader, contrary to his public image. Also unpopular, Queen Mary I, Catholic wife of James II (reign 1685-88), is shown with her young son, James, in an effort to appeal to the general public as the mother of the heir to the throne.
The use of political motifs on 17th- and 18th-century ceramics is much like today's use of political imagery: to display loyalty to a political party or cause. Many of the images of English royalty on the objects in this case were inspired by popular paintings and prints that were translated onto ceramic objects. The large dishes in this case, called chargers, were primarily decorative pieces though they may have been used for serving on special occasions.
These delftware chargers represent ceramic objects that were used as blatant propaganda. King Charles I (reign 1625-49) was unpopular for his excessive spending and careless leadership. Here, with sword drawn, the king is portrayed as a successful and powerful military leader, contrary to his public image. Also unpopular, Queen Mary I, Catholic wife of James II (reign 1685-88), is shown with her young son, James, in an effort to appeal to the general public as the mother of the heir to the throne.
Mr. Frank P. Burnap (1861-1957), Kansas City, MO by 1953;
His gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1953.
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