Mug

Description:

This transfer printed creamware mug is decorated with a portrait of William Bainbridge. The portrait depicts Bainbridge in his naval costume facing right. Around the head of the portrait is a script that reads “Commodore Bainbridge” while below is a scroll reading “Avast Boys She’s Struck.” Below that is printed “Captur’d and destroyed the Java.” While well known for his earlier naval exploits, Bainbridge’s most illustrious claim to fame came during the War of 1812. On December 29, 1812 the USS Constitution battled the HMS Java destroying the ship and capturing its crew, referenced on this mug.

This mug is part of the McCauley collection of American themed transfer print pottery. There is no mark on the mug to tell us who made it, but it is characteristic of wares made in large volume for the American market in both Staffordshire and Liverpool between 1790 and 1820. Pitchers of this shape, with a cream colored glaze over a pale earthenware clay, known as Liverpool type, were the most common vessels to feature transfer prints with subjects commemorating events and significant figures in the early decades of United States’ history. Notwithstanding the tense relationship between Britain and America, Liverpool and Staffordshire printers and potters seized the commercial opportunity offered them in the production of transfer printed earthenwares celebrating the heroes, the military victories, and the virtues of the young republic, and frequently all of these things at once.