Chamber Pot, 1815-1817
attributed to George Bullockexpand_more
Glazed stonewareexpand_more
Gift of H. Blairman & Sons, Ltd., Londonexpand_more 96.32.2
Not on Viewexpand_more
Following the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the British government provided the defeated French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte with a retirement home called New Longwood House on the island of St. Helena and employed the sculptor and cabinetmaker George Bullock to design most of the furnishings. Nothing seems to have escaped Bullock’s attention, including the toothbrush holder, soap dish, ewer and basin which would have been en suite with this Grecian krater-shaped pot as part of Napoleon’s chamber set.
As the laurel wreath decoration within the Pompeian red border is traditionally associated with the victor rather than the vanquished, the chamber set never saw service on St. Helena. Rather, it spent all of its useful life in an English country house called Tew Park in Oxfordshire. Bullock ordered ceramics from several factories for the St. Helena commission; so the basin may have been manufactured by Wedgwood, Derby, Spode, or the Herculaneum Pottery in Liverpool.
Details
- Title
- Chamber Pot
- Artist Life
- died 1818
- Role
- Designer
- Accession Number
- 96.32.2
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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