Arts & Antiques pages.qxp_Layout 1 21/04/2022 16:08 Page 29
MENDIP TIMES
A notable royal exception JUBILEE biscuit tins, God Save the Queen tea towels Union Jack coffee mugs. From teapots to toilet roll holders, just about every significant regal event from Queen Victoria’s Coronation in 1838 onwards has been greeted with an avalanche of mass-produced tat that would shame any jumble sale. The old saying that if a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well, seems to have bypassed the makers of royal memorabilia down the decades and for once justifiably, their wares are normally worth next to nothing. Even pieces made for the Coronation of Edward VIII, who famously abdicated before it could to place, sell for just a few pounds at best. There is however, one noble exception. In 1936 Wedgwood, the famous Staffordshire firm of potters, decided to
mark the coronation that would never happen by issuing a souvenir mug which, in artistic terms, would be equal to the historic event. The artist they commissioned to design it was a surprising choice for the 200year-old firm. Eric Ravilious (1903-42) was one of the foremost English modern artists to emerge between the wars. He was young and full of fresh ideas. In an all too brief career, he produced an extraordinary amount of work; murals, watercolours, wood engravings, and designs for glass and pottery. The coronation mug was a showcase for Ravilious’ talent. It featured a lion and unicorn in shaded silhouette surrounded by colourful fireworks and ‘E R’ worked in a bold typeface. The mug was an instant success (even Mrs Simpson bought one) but
ARTS & ANTIQUES
was hastily withdrawn as soon as the abdication was announced. Undaunted, Ravilious simply re-worked the design for George VI’s Coronation the following year. On the outbreak of the Second World War he became an Official War Artist and lost his life in the service of his country at the age of only 39. Today his work is rightly celebrated and original mugs fetch upwards of £600 at auction. All in all, a far more tasteful way of commemorating a royal milestone and not a Union Jack in sight.
Clevedon Salerooms’ next specialist sale (for which further entries are invited) will be held on June 9th. For details of this and other sales, together with information about valuation days at the saleroom and other locations, please visit the website www.clevedonsalerooms.com
MENDIP TIMES • MAY 2022 • PAGE 29
