{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O118617"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O118617/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9197/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9197/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AB9197","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O118617","accessionNumber":"S.330-1981","objectType":"Plaque","titles":[{"title":"William Shakespeare","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This plaque of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was produced some time in the first half of the 20th century by Osborne Ivorex, a company founded in 1899 by Arthur Osborne in Faversham, Kent, which traded until 1965.\r\n\r\nArthur Osborne (1855-1943) worked in Canada and the United States in the 1870s, and while working for a tile company in Boston, became a specialist in designing low-relief tiles. Back in England in 1898 he began making three-dimensional relief images in clay, and in 1899 exhibited three reliefs at the Royal Academy. This soon developed into the production of the plaques that gave Faversham a thriving industry.  Osborne created detailed master plaques in clay, often using picture postcards, and from these made gelatine moulds into which was poured plaster of Paris, sometimes mixed with ochre-coloured pigment. Once dry, the plaques were unmoulded, hand-painted with watercolour and then dipped in paraffin wax to give them their characteristic ivory-like finish. Brass eyelet rings and cords for hanging were fitted to the backs; some were mounted in black lacquered frames with a dark velvet slip and all were sold in custom-made cardboard boxes. The firm produced 495 different pieces including plaques, free-standing shelf pieces, calendar holders and figurines, and Ivorex wares were sold at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924.","physicalDescription":"Plastic composition plaque of William Shakespeare, seated, looking to left in profile with a quill in his right hand and his left arm resting on a chair back, holding papers. Decorated in black, grey and sepia. The plaque has a border and an arched top pierce at the corners with strings for hanging. 'Shakespeare' is written along the bottom.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Arthur Osborne","id":"A17175"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"composition (material)","id":"AAT237906"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"paraffin","id":"AAT14603"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"x46876"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded and painted composition","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Figures & Decorative ceramics","id":"THES48954"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Shakespeare","id":"THES253244"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AB9197"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES355420"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Plaque","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Faversham","id":"x39527"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"early 20th century","earliest":"1900-01-01","latest":"1950-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Richard Vincent Hughes Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"13.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'\"IVOREX\" / COPYRIGHT IN GREAT BRITAIN / CANADA AND U.S.A. / ARTHUR OSBOURNE, / MADE IN ENGLAND.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Very faintly stamped in black, verso"},{"content":"'Shakespeare'","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 lower border on the front of the plaque"},{"content":"'B. Osborne & Co. Made in England. Copyright 1921'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Plaque depicting William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Osborne Ivorex, first half of the 20th century","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Shakespeare, William","id":"N15"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.330-1981"],"accessionNumberNum":"330","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1981,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-06","recordCreationDate":"2005-11-17","availableToBook":true}}