Punch bowl

Punch bowl with Charles Edward Stuart

Lambeth Delft
ca. 1745
Tin-glazed earthenware

For July, we have chosen a punch bowl from the Stuart and Jacobite collection as our Object of the Month. This large bowl is made from a type of tin-glazed ceramic known as Delftware. It has a design of floral scrolls on the outside and rim, and a portrait of Charles Edward Stuart at the bottom of the bowl. The portrait is painted in fine detail using cobalt blue. It depicts Charles Edward Stuart wearing the blue sash and badge of the order of the garter – the highest chivalric order in England which is only awarded to the King or Queen, the Prince of Wales, and 24 chosen ‘companions’. Many portraits of Charles Edward Stuart depicted him wearing the order of the garter. Such portraits were a way to emphasise his claim to the throne of England as the heir to the exiled Stuart family. The portrait on this bowl is likely been based on an engraving by Sir Robert Strange (1721 – 1792), which was copied and adapted for many other portraits of Charles Edward Stuart.

Engraving of Charles Edward Stuart attributed to Sir Robert Strange, Chiddingstone Castle collection, object number 01.1813

Punch, which became popular in 1600s and 1700s, was made from expensive imported ingredients – rum or brandy, sugar, citrus fruit, spices, and nutmeg. It was served into glasses from a large communal bowl with a ladle. Punch was often drunk at meetings of clubs and societies. It therefore would have been ideal for dinner parties held by supporters of the Stuart family, the Jacobites. Clubs such as the Jacobite ‘Cycle Club’ in Wales were opportunities for the wealthy to gather and make toasts to the exiled Stuarts. When filled, the portrait of Charles Edward Stuart in this bowl would barely be visible underneath the punch. As the punch was drunk, the portrait would gradually be revealed. The Jacobites owned objects with hidden symbols, portraits, and slogans related to the Stuart cause to identify themselves to one another and to demonstrate their loyalty. Perhaps the portrait in this bowl, which would have been hidden at first and gradually revealed, was inspired by hidden imagery in other Jacobite objects.   

Glass with design of Charles Edward Stuart, Chiddingstone Castle collection, object number 01.1919, Jacobite Glass — Chiddingstone Castle

Jar with dragon, Chinese porcelain, early 15th century, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 37.191.1 

This object is just one of the many objects that form part of Denys Eyre Bower’s five impressive collections which include Ancient Egyptian, Japanese, Buddhist, Stuart and Jacobite, and Books. For more information on these objects, review our Object of the Month series, visit the Historic House and Collections or contact our Curator, Naomi Collick by email or by calling 01892 870347.