Description:
One of a pair of English Staffordshire pearlware figurines of a cobbler and his wife in red, orange, black, green, pink, and yellow, both of which are set on mottled or marbled red and blue square bases. The old man who has a red face wears a yellow and black cap, white shirt, black and pink apron, orange knee britches, pink socks, and black shoes with pink soles. He looks to his right, holding a shoe on his left knee. George Sheldon donated two similar figurines to PVMA described as: "Male and Female, quaint ornaments, yellow and blue. Nearly all of the above belonged to Persis (Hoyt) Sheldon, born Feb. 28, 1747; married, June 12, 1769, John Sheldon; died Nov. 2, 1829. Grandmother of the donor." Jobson is the poor cobbler and Nell is his wife. The characters were featured in the theatrical "The Devil to Pay or, The Wives Metamorphos'd," a ballad farce first performed in 1731. Revivals were popular on the English stage into the 19th century. A performance was staged at Covent Garden as late as 1828, and even children's books drew from the theme and illustrated Jobson and Nell (see file for pages from a children's book, "The Entertaining Story of Jobson and Nell," published in 1825.)
Subjects:
Pottery; Enamel and enameling; glaze (coating by location); polychrome Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+P.347.020 |
