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1952-78, Mug
Mug with Portrait of William III
1952-78, Mug

Mug with Portrait of William III

Date1689-1702
OriginEurope, Germany, Westerwald, Höhr-Grenzhausen
MediumSalt-glazed stoneware
DimensionsOverall: 5 1/4 x 6 1/16 x 6 1/8in. (13.3 x 15.4 x 15.6cm)
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1952-78
DescriptionMug: salt-glazed stoneware decorated with cobalt blue and manganese; short foot rises to globular body with cylindrical reeded neck; loop handle applied at upper neck and upper shoulder; opposite the handle is an applied medallion molded with a portrait of King William III with an inscription around the portrait: "Wilhelmus III DG Mag. Brit. Franc. et Hib. Rex &" (William III, by the Grace of God, King of Britain, France, and Ireland, Etc.). The medallion flanked by symmetrical branching stems incised and terminating in flowers and leaves produced with three different stamps, all on a blue ground, some of the flowers and leaves decorated with manganese. The reeded neck also decorated with manganese.
Label TextMost vessels celebrating King William feature bust-length portraits, and a few are known with only his royal monogram. Other noteworthy design variations include mugs, jugs, and tankards extensively colored with manganese purple on their bodies but lacking molded or incised decoration other than the applied badges. Conversely, some wares were enhanced with typical ornamentation but were left completely uncolored . Fragments from the range of vessels commemorating William have been recovered from sites such as the Wilson Farm in Dover, Massachusetts; Swan Cove in Providence, Anne Arundel County, Maryland; and Jamestown, Virginia. Curiously, although pendant jugs, mugs, and tankards with images of Queen Mary survive, they are far less common as intact survivals and in archaeological excavations.
Inscribed"Wilhelmus III DG Mag. Brit. Franc. et Hib. Rex &"
ProvenancePurchased from D. M. & P. Manheim, New York