Bowl

Description:

This bowl is decorated with a variety of transfer prints. The central image inside the bowl depicts the Coat of Arms for the Cabinet Markers guild. Below the crest is the motto “Join Truth with Trust.” The outside of the bowl is decorated with five different transfer prints. First is a depiction of George Washington on horseback on a background battle scene captioned “His excellency General George Washington Marshal of France /& commander in chief of all the North American continental forces.” The second print is a poetic stanza: “As he tills your rich glebe, the old peasant shall tell / While his bosom with Liberty glows / How your WARREN expired __ how MONTGOMERY fell / And how WASHINGTON humbled your foes.” Decorations surrounding this verse include a liberty cap, an American flag, a banner adorned with stars and stripes, and symbols of agriculture and academics. Below the poem is a banner proclaiming “INDEPENDENCE.” Third, the script initials “SS” accented with gold demonstrate customization on this bowl. Fourth, is a print of a map of the United States flanked by George Washington and the allegorical figure of Liberty on one side and Benjamin Franklin and the allegories of Justice and Wisdom on the other. Finally, the Great Seal of the United States is printed on the outside of the bowl. Remnants of hand painted gold gilding remain all over this bowl.

The equestrian print of Washington on this bowl is based on a 1775 mezzotint published by C. Shepherd of London. The poetic verse included on this bowl was written by Edward Rushton and is included in his poem “American Independency” published in 1806 in his book of poems. The map transfer print is drawn from the legend of a map of the United States published by John Wallis of London in 1783. Robert H. McCauley purchased this bowl from Joseph Kindig, Jr. of York, PA on October 16, 1938 for $150.00.

This bowl is part of the McCauley collection of American themed transfer print pottery. There is no mark on the pitcher 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.