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Lot 249George Wombell's menagerie began travelling around Britain in about 1807. The arrival of a travelling menagerie to a town would have caused great excitement, as it would have been a rare chance for people to see live wild animals.
Wombell was so successful that by his death in 1850, there were three different menageries on tour at any one time. His family continued the business and the last of the Wombwell menagaries closed in 1884.
Wombell was so successful that by his death in 1850, there were three different menageries on tour at any one time. His family continued the business and the last of the Wombwell menagaries closed in 1884.
A STAFFORDSHIRE PEARLWARE WOMBWELL'S MENAGERIE TABLE-BASE GROUP
CIRCA 1830
Closed20 May 2008
Price Realised
GBP 13,700
More Information
Specialist note
Cf. Pat Halfpenny, English Earthenware Figures, 1740-1840 (Suffolk, 1991), p. 236, pl. 69 and p. 274, for examples of Wombwell's menagerie groups.
See also Reginald Haggar, Staffordshire Chimney Ornaments (London, 1955), for a discussion of Polito's menagerie, another travelling circus of the early nineteenth century. There are many similarities in the Polito and Wombwell table-base groups and it is suggested that after Polito's death in 1814, the potters adapted this model slightly to do service for Wombwell.
See also Reginald Haggar, Staffordshire Chimney Ornaments (London, 1955), for a discussion of Polito's menagerie, another travelling circus of the early nineteenth century. There are many similarities in the Polito and Wombwell table-base groups and it is suggested that after Polito's death in 1814, the potters adapted this model slightly to do service for Wombwell.