{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O118621"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O118621/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9051/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9051/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AB9051","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O118621","accessionNumber":"S.317-1981","objectType":"Tile","titles":[{"title":"The Merry Wives of Windsor","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This tile was issued in 1964, probably as a souvenir of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth. It follows a tradition of ceramic tiles printed with theatrical images which began in the late 18th century when the technique of transfer-printing on to ceramic tiles was introduced.\r\n\r\nAlthough the tile bears the title <i>The Merry Wives of Windsor</i>, it appears to show a scene from the <i>Henry IV</i> plays, with the rogue Falstaff and his cronies sitting in the Boar's Head tavern in London's Eastcheap.  Falstaff appears in both <i>The Merry Wives</i> and the two <i>Henry IV</i> plays. Tradition has it that Queen Elizabeth I so liked the character in <i>Henry IV</i> than she insisted that Shakespeare write another Falstaff play, and Shakespeare obliged with <i>The Merry Wives of Windsor</i>.","physicalDescription":"A tile painted with a scene from <i>The Merry Wives of Windsor</i>, showing Falstaff and cronies sitting at a tavern table. Mrs Quickly has a tankard in her right hand. The tile is painted in underglaze in blue, magenta, yellow, green and brown. 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' is written in the top right hand corner.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Hereford Tiles","id":"A17382"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Florian Studios","id":"A17383"},"association":{"text":"artists","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ceramic","id":"AAT235507"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"glaze","id":"AAT15091"}],"techniques":[{"text":"firing (heating)","id":"AAT53887"},{"text":"underglazing","id":"AAT48642"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Transfer printed ceramic, painted underglaze","categories":[{"text":"Tiles","id":"THES48884"},{"text":"Entertainment and leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Shakespeare","id":"THES253244"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AB9051"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES355420"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"tile","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Hereford","id":"x32690"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Saxmundham","id":"x39693"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1964","earliest":"1959-01-01","latest":"1968-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Richard Vincent Hughes Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"15.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'The Merry Wives of Windsor'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Written in the top right hand corner, on the front."},{"content":"Russian postage stamp\r\nShakespeare 400 celebrates 1964","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Verso"},{"content":"'TILE BODY MADE BY HEREFORD TILES LTD. FOR FLORIAN STUDIOS SAXMUNDHAM SUFFOLK'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Verso in raised letters"},{"content":"17\r\nT8","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Verso, in centre"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tile illustrated with a scene from Shakespeare's play <i>The Merry Wives of Windsor</i>.  Transfer print, hand-coloured, by Florian Studios, Saxmundham.  Issued on the 400th anniversay of the birth of Shakespeare","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["The Merry Wives of Windsor"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.317-1981"],"accessionNumberNum":"317","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1981,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-06","recordCreationDate":"2005-11-17","availableToBook":true}}