Winston Churchill

Modelled by Arnold Machin, Wedgwood

About 1970

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Large vase of solid white jasper with black jasper dip and applied white jasper relief decoration, resting on a tall, heavily ornamented pedestal base, the urn-shaped body with round foot decorated with applied white anthemion motifs, the two handles in the form of serpents holding an egg above a small portrait relief of Medusa, the main body with the relief "Apotheosis of Virgil" after John Flaxman featuring winged figures holding wreaths, a seating figure with a lyre and another with a long horn, in the center the figure of Virgil, classically draped and holding a scroll, the cover is surmounted with the figure of Pegasus, the pedestal base is square with truncated corners, at each is a griffin and on the sides are two small reliefs with classical scenes and two small reliefs with fruit and garlands, the border below the upper edge of the pedestal includes scrolling foliage and anthemion motifs.
Vase, David Puxley, Wedgwood, glazed stoneware
Vase with a round, exaggerated cup shape. The vase's exterior is colored dark green that tapers to light green towards the base of the bowl. There is a buildup of dark glaze around the center of the vase that appears to be dripping down the form in places. The vase's exterior is rough in texture around the top and bottom of the vase, with thin, irregularly-sized horizontal lines around the form. the rim of the vase is unglazed, beige stoneware. The vase's interior is partially glazed, the upper half of the itnerior ranging in color from orange to dark red. The lower half of the interior is light green, then the interior's center is dark red. The interior also features the same thin, horizontal lines that are on the exterior.
Round black and white jasper medallion with profile portrait of H.R.H The Prince of Wales (1894-1972), was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December the same year. Edward was the eldest son of George V and Mary of Teck. He was named Prince of Wales on his sixteenth birthday, nine weeks after his father succeeded as king. As a young man, he served in the British Army during the First World War and undertook several overseas tours on behalf of his father. Edward became king on his father's death in early 1936. However, he showed impatience with court protocol, and caused concern among politicians by his apparent disregard for established constitutional conventions. Only months into his reign, he caused a constitutional crisis by proposing marriage to Wallis Simpson, an American who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the Dominions opposed the marriage, arguing that a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands was politically and socially unacceptable as a prospective queen consort. Additionally, such a marriage would have conflicted with Edward's status as the titular head of the Church of England, which at the time disapproved of remarriage after divorce if a former spouse was still alive. Edward knew that the British government, led by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, would resign if the marriage went ahead, which could have forced a general election and would ruin his status as a politically neutral constitutional monarch. When it became apparent that he could not marry Wallis and remain on the throne, Edward abdicated. He was succeeded by his younger brother, George VI. With a reign of 326 days, Edward is one of the shortest-reigning monarchs in British history. After his abdication, he was created Duke of Windsor. He married Wallis in France on 3 June 1937, after her second divorce became final. Later that year, the couple toured Germany. During the Second World War, he was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France but, after private accusations that he held Nazi sympathies, he was appointed Governor of the Bahamas. After the war, Edward spent the rest of his life in retirement in France.