Antique figure titled Death of the Lion Queen Staffordshire pottery

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£1150

Dated: 1850 England

Staffordshire pottery figure depicting Ellen Bright with her wild animals. She was known as the "Lion Queen". EXHIBITION.....IF THESE POTS COULD TALK. Just sixteen years old and a lion tamer she thrilled circus audiences with her act. She was known as the Lion Queen. During one performance at Wombell's Circus in 1850, she turned her back on a tiger and the animal pounced and seized her by the throat and killed her. Following an inquest into her death, the practice of "Lion Queens" was banned and only men were allowed into the cages. (No sexism in those days!) An engraving of her death appeared in "The Illustrated London News" on January 10, 1850. This picture was titled "Death of the Lion Queen in Wombwell's Menagerie at Chatham" and appeared 8 days after the event. Although it was a tiger that killed her, the portrait figures show a leopard as the attacking beast. Ellen's death was so shocking and of such interest to the public that the event was captured in ceramic by the Staffordshire potters who never missed a marketing opportunity. What a talking point such a figure would have been as it was proudly displayed on the mantlepiece in these mid Victorian times.

Dimensions: 15 inches high

£1150    $1552

Description

Staffordshire pottery figure depicting Ellen Bright with her wild animals. She was known as the “Lion Queen”.

EXHIBITION…..IF THESE POTS COULD TALK.

Just sixteen years old and a lion tamer she thrilled circus audiences with her act. She was known as the Lion Queen. During one performance at Wombell’s Circus in 1850, she turned her back on a tiger and the animal pounced and seized her by the throat and killed her. Following an inquest into her death, the practice of “Lion Queens” was banned and only men were allowed into the cages.
(No sexism in those days!)
An engraving of her death appeared in “The Illustrated London News” on January 10, 1850. This picture was titled “Death of the Lion Queen in Wombwell’s Menagerie at Chatham” and appeared 8 days after the event. Although it was a tiger that killed her, the portrait figures show a leopard as the attacking beast.
Ellen’s death was so shocking and of such interest to the public that the event was captured in ceramic by the Staffordshire potters who never missed a marketing opportunity. What a talking point such a figure would have been as it was proudly displayed on the mantlepiece in these mid Victorian times.

Additional information

Dimensions 15 in