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On Display: Galleries
Figure group (The Bible Lesson or The Prudent Mother)
The Bible Lesson or The Prudent Mother
Philippe Mercier, Carington Bowles, Derby Porcelain Works
1815-1825
Category
Ceramics
Creator/Artist/Maker
Philippe Mercier (Design inspiration)
Place of Origin
Staffordshire; England; United Kingdom; Europe
Materials
- Earthenware (pearlware)
- Lead glaze
Museum Object Number
2002.0030.092
Credit Line/Donor
Gift of Thomas N. and A. Pat Bernard
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Complete Details
Object Number
2002.0030.092
Object Name
Figure group (The Bible Lesson or The Prudent Mother)
Title
The Bible Lesson or The Prudent Mother
Category
Ceramics - Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Norton Bernard Collection of English Pottery Figures
Creator (Role)
Philippe Mercier (Design inspiration); Carington Bowles (Possible design inspiration); Derby Porcelain Works (Possible design inspiration)
Place of Origin
Staffordshire; England; United Kingdom; Europe
Date
1815-1825
Mark/Signature/Inscription/Label
Type: Mark
Location: Back of figure
Inscription: Impressed "13"
Type: Mark
Location: Underside
Inscription: A stylized tulip (three petals) is painted in blue with a blue dot to one side
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: Round orange sticker, handwritten in blue ink, "no. 322" (Bernard Collection number)
Mark/Signature: Yes
Subject(s)
- Religious imagery
- Religion associated
Materials
- Earthenware (pearlware)
- Lead glaze
Techniques
- Molded
- Painted
- Enameled
Dimensions (inches)
8.25 (H) x 5.625 (W) x 4.125 (D)
Dimensions (centimeters)
20.955 (H) x 14.288 (W) x 10.478 (D)
Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes
Electronic: The British Museum. The Prudent Mother (Derby figure). The British Museum 08/23/2022 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1936-0715-40-CR
• Derby porcelain figure after same design source: Derby Porcelain Factory white figure of The Prudent Mother, c. 1790, "based on a painting, known through two versions, by the German portrait painter Phillippe Mercier (c. 1689-1760), as 'The Bible Lesson' or 'L'instruction Maternelle'."Book: Schkolne, Myrna. 2014 Holding the Past: The William Herbert and Nancy Hunt Collection of Early English Pottery Figures.
• Closely similar (smaller) model of The Prudent Mother in polychrome enameled earthenware: p. 127, no. 99, after Philippe Mercier (1689-1760) so-called "The Bible Lesson" reproduced 1760 and later variations by Carington Bowles as "The Prudent Mother." Notes Enoch Wood-associated example impressed "13" and probably earlier Derby Porcelain versions.Book: Harding, Adrian & Harding, Nicholas. 1998 Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835-1875. 1.
• Same models and smaller one, identified tentatively as Agnas: p. 40, fig. 1767, notes though called Agnas, no supporting evidence.