This gorgeous porcelain peacock by Nymphenburg is one of the latest acquisitions at WMODA. In the late 19th century, the peacock became an icon of the Aesthetic movement, which emphasized the importance of art above everything else in daily life. “Art for art’s sake” was the credo of the aesthetes

The incredible Farin collection of European porcelain is now at WMODA and highlights will be going on display over the next few months. During our research, we were fascinated by the number of Rosenthal figures inspired by German avant-garde dancers in the early 20th century. The decadent cabaret life in Weimer

Mistress Ford plaque The WMODA archive features original artwork and other fascinating source material for research into ceramic art so let us know if you can help us build our reference library. A watercolor design for this striking Wedgwood Shakespearean wall plaque is a recent discovery. Two watercolor designs, depicting

When mice invaded Doulton’s Lambeth studio, sculptor George Tinworth didn’t trap them as normal. Instead he watched their antics and visualized them in human situations. As light relief from his monumental religious sculptures, he modeled little salt-glazed stoneware “humoresques” as he called them, which served as paperweights and menu holders.

In Museum Month, it is interesting to reflect how the remarkable Wiener museum came about. Back in 1965, Arthur Wiener was a young college graduate and he traveled to London armed with Frommer’s seminal Europe on $5 a day. He blew his daily budget on a Royal Doulton character jug of

During Michael Doulton’s visit to WMODA on March 31st, Louise Irvine gave a presentation on Flappers, Vamps & Divas celebrating all the beautiful women of the Jazz Age who were portrayed by Royal Doulton, Goldsheider, Lenci and other leading porcelain factories. The talk was so well received that Louise will

The British ceramics industry has been a major employer of women for centuries. Initially they worked as menial assistants to men but gradually some were recognized as artists and designers. Two of the most famous design divas of the Art Deco era were celebrated in the recent WMODA lecture on

The latest addition to our Stage & Screen exhibition is this striking Korean Dancer, which was modeled by Constantin Holzer-Defanti for Rosenthal in 1918. The sculptor was inspired by a postcard of cabaret star Anita Berber, who was famous for her burlesque performances in Weimer Germany.Anita Berber’s career at the