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Mintons "Honour to the Brave" Parian Figure, Modeled After John Bell C. 1856
$3,850
£2,909.43
€3,406.05
CA$5,376.43
A$6,048.97
CHF 3,204.98
MX$74,697.19
NOK 39,289.69
SEK 37,751.97
DKK 25,407.08
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About the Item
The “Honour to the Brave” Parian sculpture was modeled by John Bell (1811–1895), a prominent English sculptor. Bell is best known for designing the Crimean War memorial statues – including the allegorical female figure “Honour” – for the Brigade of Guards in London. Minton’s Parian figure is directly based on Bell’s Honour (later referred to as Victory), which stands atop the Guards’ Crimean War Memorial unveiled in 1861. In fact, Bell had also created a marble version of this figure around 1856 (commissioned by Lord Lansdowne) as a tribute to those who served in the Crimean War. Like many of Bell’s compositions, this design was adapted by Minton for production in Parian porcelain. The Parian statuette faithfully reproduces Bell’s winged female figure wearing classical drapery and a laurel crown – an allegory of Victory or Honour – created to commemorate the bravery of British troops in the Crimean War (1853–56).
Minton introduced “Honour to the Brave” as a Parian ware figure in the 1800s, very shortly after the end of the Crimean conflict. The piece carries an impressed Minton factory mark and date cipher indicating production circa 1873. The sculpture is also impressed “MINTONS” and with the model number 340, identifying it in Minton’s catalog of Parian figures. The Minton Archive confirms that the factory produced over 500 Parian designs – ranging from reproductions of famous sculptures to original commemorative pieces – during this era. The Honour to the Brave figure would have been among these mid-century offerings. It stands approximately 16½ inches tall (about 42 cm) on its own. The figure’s surface is the typical unglazed white bisque finish of Parian porcelain, intended to imitate white marble.
While specific Minton pattern-book entries for model no. 340 have not been published in readily available sources, the piece’s markings and design indicate it was a recognized production model by the late 1850s. Minton’s Parian figures were often showcased at major international exhibitions. It is likely that Honour to the Brave (or closely related patriotic pieces) featured in displays of Minton’s Parian wares in the years after the Crimean War. For example, Minton exhibited large Parian sculptures at the 1862 International Exhibition in London (though contemporary reports highlight works like Mrs. Thorneycroft’s “Skipping Girl” rather than specifically mentioning the Crimean figure). Given the strong national significance of the subject, it would not be surprising if the figure was shown or advertised around that time. Minton’s sales catalogs of the 1860s do list numerous Parian “statuettes” by name, so archival records or pattern books may well include this figure under a title such as “Honour (Crimea)” or “Winged Victory (Crimean Memorial)”. Unfortunately, in the research for this report no direct scan of a Minton catalogue page for this model was found, and it appears detailed documentation may reside in the Minton factory archives.
Measures:
16.5" h, 8" w, 5.25" d.
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)Depth: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)
- Style:Neoclassical (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1856
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In overall good condition. No significant damage observed - minor dirt or darkening to tips of fingers and thorns on crown.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7838245543332
Minton
Pottery is one of the oldest decorative art forms, and Minton is one of its historical masters. For more than 250 years, the English company was a premier producer of porcelain and ceramic wares. Its factory was known for detailed and brightly colored Victorian tableware, including dinner plates and serving pieces.
Thomas Minton founded the Minton factory in 1793 in Stoke-upon-Trent, England. It initially made earthenware but introduced bone china in 1798. When Minton died in 1836, the company passed to his son, Herbert Minton. The younger Minton was a savvy businessman with an eye for design. He introduced glossy majolica earthenware to the factory’s repertoire and hired skilled artists and designers like Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, boosting the company’s reputation.
In 1851, Minton debuted its majolica at the Great Exhibition in London. It became a royal family favorite and was even used to tile the Royal Dairy at Windsor Home Park. Minton majolica was also displayed on the monumental Saint George and the dragon fountain at the 1862 London International Exhibition.
Colin Minton Campbell, a nephew of Herbert Minton, took over the family business in 1858. He led the company to the head of the 1870s English art pottery movement. In the 1890s, French porcelain artist Marc-Louis Solon helped modernize Minton with his Art Nouveau designs.
Minton ceased operating as an independent company when it merged with Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd. in 1968. It was the end of an era, but not the end of widespread appreciation for Minton ceramics.
In 1982, the ”English Majolica” exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum featured 75 Minton pieces. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its British Galleries in 2020, it included a display of three colorful Minton majolica bird sculptures. Minton pottery was also on display from September 2021 to January 2022, along with other English pottery, at the Bard Graduate Center’s ”Majolica Mania” exhibition.
On 1stDibs, find exquisite Minton serveware, decorative objects, wall decorations and more.
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