19th Century English Staffordshire Ceramic Sculpture of Peasant Family with Child attributable to John Dale, 1800s

Details

Description

MEASUREMENTS: Height: 17 cm; Width: 13.5 cm; Depth: 8.5 cm

CONDITION: Excellent overall condition.

Item :
Antique ceramic sculpture, unsigned, … Read more MEASUREMENTS: Height: 17 cm; Width: 13.5 cm; Depth: 8.5 cm

CONDITION: Excellent overall condition.

Item :
Antique ceramic sculpture, unsigned, made using the pressmolding technique, which is an artistic ceramics technique that involves pressing clay (usually in the form of slabs or blocks) into a mold, usually made of plaster, to reproduce complex shapes or multiples of an object. This method combines the reproducibility of an object with artistic craftsmanship, allowing for fine detail and controlled thicknesses. The sculpture was entirely hand-decorated with tin glazes and vitrified in a second firing. The object was made in England by the Staffordshire manufactory in the first half of the 19th century, the Victorian period, and depicts a peasant couple paying the tithe, an ancient tax, widespread since antiquity and central to the Middle Ages, which required the payment of a tenth (10%) of agricultural products (grain, wine) or income to the Church or feudal lord, and they wanted to include their tenth child in the payment. The scene depicted is a satire on the church and feudal lords of the time, who demanded excessive taxes from their subjects. This scene was first depicted in 1700 by Boitard in an old engraving and became extremely famous. Then, in 1765, the Derby manufactory revived the same vignette, creating the first ceramic sculpture depicting the same scene, and in the early 1800s, the Staffordshire manufactory also produced one, to whom we can attribute the paternity of this sculpture.

Useful information for appraising this item:
In the photos immediately below this , we've included a sculpture very similar to ours, also made by Staffordshire in 1820, demonstrating our attribution. We've also included another sculpture, depicting a chariot pulled by two tigers, larger than our item. It sold for almost £15,000 and is attributed to John Dale, an important English artist who collaborated with the Staffordshire factory. As you can see, the base of the sculpture is identical to that of our item, with the same colors and shades. Therefore, it's likely that our item was created by the same artist, John Dale, one of the leading exponents of the Staffordshire factory in the first half of the 19th century. Finally, in the last photo, we've included the print mentioned in the item's , which inspired our sculpture.

Final considerations on the object:
Our object is antique and exhibits a much higher artistic quality than most Staffordshire sculptures available on the market, especially the more recent ones. The object is very heavy for its size, and the ceramic is solid and solid, a characteristic only found in older sculptures. Finally, the patina on the edge of the lower base is extremely evident, further confirming our dating.

Information on the artist and/or manufacturer:
Staffordshire is the industrial area that includes the six towns of Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke, and Tunstall (now all within the larger city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England). Staffordshire became a center of ceramic and artistic porcelain production as early as the early 17th century, thanks to the large local supply of clay, salt, lead, and coal. By the late 18th century, Staffordshire was the largest ceramic producer in Britain. I have official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs,
designer records,
or other literature sources and take full responsibility for any authenticity issues arising
from
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