RARE Queen Victoria Reform Spirit Flask 9\" Rockingham Treacle Style c. 1830s For Sale
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
RARE Queen Victoria Reform Spirit Flask 9\" Rockingham Treacle Style c. 1830s :
$290.00
Queen Victoria. And, as such, needs no introduction. But, here is what I can tell you about the flask: This lovely brown glazed piece, in what is commonly referred to as rockingham or treacle glaze, stands 9 inches tall. The oval base is 2.5 by 3.5 inches. It is very clean with wear consistent with the age of the piece. Small flea bites to bottom edge and what appears to be a manufacturing defect on her cheek; the lines of the crackle glaze are present and not interrupted, although the dimple is present to the touch. Identification of flasks has moved forward recently; unnamed examples with attributions to Queen Caroline or Jenny Lind are seen as Victoria today. There are also examples of flasks for both Victoria\'s mother and father. Given the history of the productions of these types of items, Victoria\'s here likely predates her accession in 1837 with first copies rushed to the marketplace in 1836. Although some buyers may prefer the warmth and quality of an execution using salt glaze, we feel this example has a charm all its own and in some instances is rarer still. (I will be listing a monstrous example of a salt glazed Victoria flask for comparison.)
So, what are reform flasks? Reform Flask is the name given to eleborate British stoneware flasks made in the 1830s and 40s, and to a lesser extent in the 1850s. Many of them commemorate important political figures or events, especially those related to the passage of the great Reform Act of 1832, the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, or Catholic Emancipation. There are a variety of flasks depicting political figures (i.e., Lord John Russell, Lord Grey, Lord Broughman, Richard Cobden, and Robert Peel), members of the royal family (William IVth or Victoria), figures from popular culture (such as Punch, Mrs. Caudle, and Jim Crow), and decorative ones (pistols, clocks, books, fish, and sailors, etc.).
Serious offers will receive our serious consideration. We would like you to have this. Good luck and Happy ing.
2015.031HO