{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O63365"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O63365/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9158/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9158/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AB9158","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O63365","accessionNumber":"S.866-1981","objectType":"Figurine","titles":[{"title":"Polly Peachum","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This figurine represents the character Polly Peachum in Nigel Playfair's celebrated revival of John Gay's <i>The Beggar's Opera</i>, which opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in June 1920, designed by Claud Lovat Fraser. It probably represents Sylvia Nelis, who played Polly in the original cast. With music re-written and supplemented by Frederic Austin, Gay's 18th century ballad opera, featuring traditional tunes, took London by storm and put Hammersmith firmly on the theatrical map.\r\n\r\nThe huge popularity of this production, which ran for over three years, spawned a surprising quantity of figurines in porcelain and wax.  They are an indication of the impact that the production made on designers and artists.  The highly simplified, almost illustrative, quality of the designs was characteristic of British theatrical design in the wake of the impact of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes and in reaction against the detailed 19th century tradition of realism and historicism.  ","physicalDescription":"Unglazed porcelain figure of Polly Peachum in <i>The Beggar's Opera</i>. She is standing on an integral rectangular base, the front of which is incised 'Polly Peachum'. She wears a full-length, simplified 18th century panniered dress in salmon pink, cut away at the front, over a white underskirt. The dress has a square-cut neckline and the bodice is trimmed with turquoise green bows, with matching bows on her elbow-length sleeves. She wears a white mob cap, turquoise green mittens and shoes. Her right arm is extended and her left arm is bent up towards her body.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"porcelain","id":"AAT10662"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded and painted porcelain","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Figures & Decorative ceramics","id":"THES48954"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AB9158"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355421"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"figurines","id":"AAT47455"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1920","earliest":"1915-01-01","latest":"1924-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"14.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx, at widest point, across skirt","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"5.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"0.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"The dress slightly extends beyond the base at sides and front","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Polly Peachum'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Incised on front of base"},{"content":"No other marks","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":"The figure probably represents Sylvia Nelis, who played Polly Peachum in the original cast of John Gay's <i>The Beggar's Opera</i> in the celebrated 1920 revival by Nigel Playfair at the Lyric, Hammersmith, designed by Claud Lovat Fraser. The figure came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest. Beaumont was a friend of Lovat Fraser, who presented him with a small drawing of Macheath (S.412-2000). A second copy of the figure in the Museum collections, S.1314-1984, is more highly finished, with painted features.\n\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Figurine of Polly Peachum, probably as played by Sylvia Nelis in John Gay's <i>The Beggar's Opera</i>, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 1920","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Peachum, Polly","id":"N8094"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["The Beggar's Opera"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.866-1981"],"accessionNumberNum":"866","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1981,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-09","recordCreationDate":"2001-11-22","availableToBook":true}}