Commemorative ware is pottery, porcelain, glass, metalwork or other decorative objects made to mark a particular event, person or anniversary. Royal coronations, jubilees, weddings and deaths are the most common subjects, but commemoratives also celebrate military victories, political figures, exhibitions, new bridges and railways, and local or family events.
Commemorative pottery has been made in Britain since at least the seventeenth century, when delftware chargers and mugs were painted with portraits of monarchs. The development of transfer printing in the eighteenth century allowed images to be reproduced quickly and cheaply, and the nineteenth century brought a flood of mugs, jugs, plates and figures, culminating in the vast output for Queen Victoria's jubilees of 1887 and 1897. Commemoratives remained popular throughout the twentieth century, and the unofficial wares made for the coronation of Edward VIII, which never took place, are a famous curiosity. Value depends on rarity, age, quality and condition; early and short-lived subjects are prized, while common modern pieces are plentiful. Commemoratives appeal particularly to collectors of social and royal history, and a themed group makes an engaging display.
