Swansea Pottery Blue and White tankard with transfer related to The Guillotine and the beheading of Louis XVI in 1793

Reference: 6688

Dated: c. 1793 Swansea Wales

A Pearlware pottery mug of French Revolutionary Interest, circa 1795, of cylindrical form with strap handle. Printed in underglaze with "View LA GUILLOTINE or the modern beheading machine at PARIS by which LOUIS XVI late King of France was beheaded Jan 21 1793".
The scene shows the executioner, the King prostrated with his head ready to fall into one of the wicker baskets and two indifferent looking male figures witnessing proceedings.
Social interest would have been intense during this period and an the graphic image of the macabre event would have shocked and fascinated.
Attribution note: Cambrian Pottery Swansea Wales.
This mug has one of the Swansea ‘Fan’ borders as found on ‘La Guillotine’ jug, although
the border on the inside of the mug is of necessity down-sized to fit the small
piece. Its marks are an underglazed printed stroke and dot and a very small impressed
circle. Such marks are found on sherds excavated and recorded by S.H.Williams
where he writes of the sherds
“I came to the conclusion that the pottery sherds dated between 1785 and 1796”
which fit precisely the date of this ‘La Guillotine’ mug

Dimensions: 4.75 inch wide 4.75 inch high 3.00 inch deep

Diameter: 3.00inch

Medium: pearlware transger print blue and white pottery ceramic

Current Condition Unrestored with only minor damages commensurate with age. The tankard is in exceptionally clean condition with an excellent underglaze transfer print.

Provenance: Private Collection Worcestershire

Literature: SWANSEA’S CAMBRIAN POTTERY
PUBLIC & PRIVATE COMMEMORATIVE PRINTED WARES
BY ARLEEN AND GRAHAME TANNER

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