{"meta":{"version":"2.0","images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9272/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9272/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AB9272","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117403","accessionNumber":"S.1018-1996","objectType":"Figurine","titles":[{"title":"Margot Fonteyn as Ondine","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This figurine represents the English dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991) as Ondine, the role she created in the original production of Frederick Ashton's ballet at Covent Garden in October 1958. It is one of a set of five figures issued by Briglin Pottery, makers of decorative domestic earthenware, in 1959, a year after they decided to revive the Staffordshire tradition of pottery figures of performers. The actor Herbert Lom, the partner of Briglin's founder Brigitte Goldsmith, contacted Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Sir John Gielgud, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Paul Robeson, Maria Callas and Alec Guinness, who all agreed to feature. Lom wrote a leaflet advertising the proposed edition of 100 figures of seven personalities, which featured quotes from the subjects who all expressed delight at their inclusion.\r\n\r\nSince Briglin's earthenware proved unsuitable, Lom commissioned Richard Parkinson to design and make the figures at his pottery, using continental-type porcelain, fired at high temperatures and decorated in green and black. The slip-cast figures proved tricky; the moulds had to be made in several pieces and most of them, except Paul Robeson and Vivien Leigh, had to be tall and thin, very different in style to the rest of Parkinson's pottery. After Robeson, the fifth model, the Parkinsons realised their charge of £2 a figure was unrealistic. Since Lom refused to raise the price, the project was terminated and only about six figures of Robeson were made. In 1959, however, the set featured in London's Design Centre where Briglin sold them for 10 guineas each, and 40 guineas a set. The Duke of Edinburgh and Charlton Heston each bought a set.","physicalDescription":"Figurine of Dame Margot Fonteyn as Ondine in Frederick Ashton's ballet of the same name, decorated in green and black, showing her in costume receiving flowers, standing on her left foot turned out with her right foot bent to the base behind her. She stands on an integral base inscribed on the front 'Dame Margot Fonteyn' and on the back 'as Ondine'. She is wearing a diaphanous low-cut dress in a light fabric and holds a bouquet of flowers in her left hand.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Parkinson, Susan","id":"A2754"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Parkinson, Susan","id":"A2754"},"association":{"text":"decorator","id":"x30812"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Richard Parkinson Pottery","id":"A15433"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Briglin Pottery","id":"A15434"},"association":{"text":"made for","id":"x30791"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"hard paste porcelain","id":"AAT10663"},{"text":"glaze","id":"AAT15091"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"x46876"},{"text":"firing (heating)","id":"AAT53887"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"glazing (coating)","id":"AAT53914"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Glazed porcelain","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Porcelain","id":"THES48907"},{"text":"Figures & Decorative ceramics","id":"THES48954"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AB9272"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES355437"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"figurine","id":""}],[{"text":"ceramic","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Brabourne Lees","id":"x34930"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1959","earliest":"1959-01-01","latest":"1959-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"29.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"5.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"8.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approximately","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"7.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Dame Margot Fonteyn' / 'as Ondine' \r\n","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Painted on the front and back of the hollow base respectively"},{"content":"'No.14 designed & made for BRIGLIN by Susan Parkinson'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On underside of base"}],"objectHistory":"In 1959 Briglin Pottery, makers of decorative domestic earthenware, decided to revive the Staffordshire tradition, almost extinct since the 19th century, of making pottery figures of outstanding theatrical personalities of the day. One of the founders of Briglin was Brigitte Goldsmith whose partner was the actor Herbert Lom; he made contact with the personalities that Briglin wanted to feature. These were Sir Laurence Olivier as Henry V, Vivien Leigh as Cleopatra, Sir John Gielgud as Hamlet, Dame Margot Fonteyn as Ondine, Paul Robeson as Othello, Maria Callas as Violetta and Alec Guinness as himself. Briglin planned a limited edition of one hundred figures of seven personalities. Lom wrote a publicity brochure, with quotes from the actors saying they were delighted to be included, and that the tradition was to be revived.\r\n\r\nBriglin Pottery used an earthenware body that was unsuitable for such detailed work so Lom, who lived near the Parkinsons in Kent, commissioned Richard and Susan Parkinsons to make the figures for £2 each. They were devised by Richard Parkinson, slip-cast from continental-type porcelain, fired at very high temperatures and decorated in green and black by Susan Parkinson. The figures were tricky to produce; the moulds had to be made in several pieces because of the detail, and because most of them, apart from Paul Robeson and Vivien Leigh, had to be relatively tall and thin, quite unlike the rest of the Parkinson's pottery. Vivien Leigh was the second to be made, and Susan Parkinson said it was difficult to produce a realistic model that looked well in a set with the others. In real life Paul Robeson was very tall and Viven Leigh very petite.\r\n\r\nAfter creating the fifth model the Parkinsons realised that they could not continue to make them for the agreed price. Since Lom was adamant about pricing, only the first five of the set were made, with only about six of the Robeson figures being produced. Despite the termination of the project, the figures were displayed in the Design Centre in 1959 where Briglin sold them for 10 guineas each, or 40 guineas for the set. The Duke of Edinburgh and Charlton Heston each bought a set, and Brigitte Goldsmith personally presented Vivien Leigh with the figurines of herself and Laurence Olivier. Although not wanting the Parkinson Pottery's name to be associated with the figurines, they were allowed to mark them inside the base which was brushed with a band of colour on the white clay and scratched through: 'Made for Briglin Pottery by Susan Parkinson.'","historicalContext":"This represents the English dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991) in the title role of Frederick Ashton's ballet Ondine, the role she created in its original production at Covent Garden Theatre in October 1958.","briefDescription":"Porcelain figurine of the dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991) in the title role of Frederick Ashton's ballet Ondine, made for Briglin Pottery by Richard and Susan Parkinson, 1959","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Susan Parkinson and the Richard Parkinson Pottery by Carol Cashmore & Tim Vincent-Smith"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Briglin Pottery 1948-1990 by Anthea Arnold"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Limited edition","id":"THES48862"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Fonteyn, Margot","id":"N1045"}],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Fonteyn, Margot","id":"N1045"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1018-1996"],"accessionNumberNum":"1018","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1996,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"14","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2022-01-17","recordCreationDate":"2005-09-30"}}