War and glory: ceramics depict turbulent past

Although much less popular than used to be the case, there is still a strong market for antique commemorative ceramics. The volume of demand will be made clear next Wednesday when a large collection of this material goes on sale at Bonhams in London. The ceramics have been brought together over the past decade by Northern Irish businessman and collector Phillip Richardson, who during this period acquired a considerable number of Irish pieces. One of the earliest items on offer, for example, is a Staffordshire enamel patch box dating from the late 18th century. This has been painted with a scene of a hot air balloon collapsing into the Irish Sea and is inscribed with the name R. McGuire. Richard Crosby had planned to cross the sea in a balloon during the summer of 1795 but unfortunately he turned out to be too heavy for the journey and so the less-experienced (but presumably lighter) Richard McGuire took his place.

Having only just managed to avoid hitting a chimney after take-off, the balloon fell into the Irish Sea nine miles from the coast of Holyhead. Both the balloon and McGuire were rescued and the latter was subsequently knighted by the Lord Lieutenant. The patch box carries an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 sterling.

A slightly earlier lot in the same collection is a creamware bowl dating from circa 1780. This is printed with a design of a man-o'-war vessel in full sail with the words "Success to the Balocols Volunteers" beneath. The reference is to one of the volunteer societies formed at the time to protect Ireland from the threat of invasion from France. The bowl is expected to make £1,500-£1,800, while a creamware jug from a few years later has an estimate of £1,500-£2,500. The jug carries a printed full-length portrait of John Magee, Dublin proprietor of Magee's Weekly Packet and the Dublin Evening Post.

Many of the best Irish pieces date from the agitations of the late 18th/early 19th centuries, such as a creamware punch-bowl (circa 1790) inscribed "May Irish Societies/ Freedom Maintain/And humble the Glory/ of France and proud Spain" (£700-£1,000). Then there are the later commemorative ceramics associated with Daniel O'Connell, such as a creamware jug (£500-£700), a lustre jug (£400-£600) and a pearlware jug (£600-£1,000), all dating from the late 1820s. Another jug being offered at this sale shows O'Connell on one side and the teetotalism advocate Father Matthew on the other (£300-£500). The auction will be held in Bonhams' Knightsbridge auction rooms, beginning at 2 p.m.