Staffordshire Figure of General Charles George Gordon

A magnificent late Victorian Staffordshire earthenware figure of General Gordon - larger than the usual Staffordshire pieces.

Condition: Very Good. One chip to base and a little paint worn on head but otherwise very sound.

General Gordon:

General Gordon (I833 - 1885) was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1852. He became a national hero in 1862 for his exploits in China where he strengthened the European trading centre of Shanghai, which was threatened by insurgents of the Taiping Rebellion. He took command of a 3500 man peasant force, raised to defend the city. He was also known for his ill-fated defence of Khartoum against the Sudanese rebels.

Staffordshire Pottery:

A combination of the right clays, inventive potters such as Josiah Wedgwood and available labour made the Staffordshire district the centre of the china industry. Many small forgotten factories as well as the giants such as Spode, Wedgwood, Adams, clustered in the towns of Burslem, Cobridge, Fenton, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall, now incorporated in the present day town of Stoke-on-Trent.

England’s Industrial Revolution coincided almost exactly with the start of Queen Victoria's reign in 1837, creating wealth from industry. The new middle classes were eager to emulate their betters by decorating their homes with objects similar to costly Meissen and Chelsea figures, and Staffordshire potters obliged by turning out painted and glazed pottery greyhounds, houses, sheep, dogs, cattle and more exotic animals such as zebras and elephants. Figures of gods and goddesses, examples drawn from literature, famous political and military men and above all, representations of royalty, all found homes in England and America.

All of the items that we advertise for sale have been as accurately described as possible and are in excellent condition, unless otherwise stated. Please note that we are also able to arrange a full shipping service for our customers. We offer a 14 day returns policy. In the unlikely event that you are not completely satisfied with your purchase we will issue a full refund of the purchase price less the return transport costs with an approved courier once an item is received by us in the same condition as it was originally dispatched. We look forward to being of service.