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For those with more disposable income, who were looking for something more refined than bisque-fired figurines for their display cabinets, Royal Worcester produced a set of six porcelain pieces.

Modelled by George Evans, these were:

Model No. 2106 "City Imperial Volunteer" (Registered Design No. 354783)
Model No. 2107 "Imperial Yeoman" (Registered Design No. 354785)
Model No. 2108 "Colonial Trooper" (Registered Design No. 354782)
Model No. 2109 "Black Watch" (Registered Design No. 354784)
Model No. 2110 "Handy Man" (Registered Design No. 356045)
Model No. 2111 "Guardsman" (Registered Design No. 356044)

The City Imperial Volunteer figure was re-released in 1909, with the words "SIR ALFRED NEWTON BART FOUNDER OF THE C.I.V. 1900 LORD MAYOR OF LONDON" on the base. This appears to have been produced to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Sir Alfred Newton becoming Lord Mayor.



Starting top left: City Imperial Volunteer, Colonial Trooper, Black Watch, Imperial Yeoman, Guardsman & Handy Man. Each with date code and maker's mark to base: "ROYAL WORCESTER ENGLAND".






.. Boer war pottery, Boer war china, boer war ceramics, boer war porcelain

The population of the German speaking countries was on the whole firmly pro-Boer. This attractive earthenware tobacco pot with glossy coloured glaze (about 30 cm tall) was produced by Bernard Bloch in Eichwald, Austria around 1900

Thank you Everhard,

Bernard Bloch produced a further four ABW-related figural humidors or tobacco jars. These were modelled as the busts of General Buller, General Botha (not a good likeness), a City Imperial Volunteer and a British infantryman. These had consecutive model numbers, 8159, 8160, 8161 & 8162 (starting five numbers after the Kruger example above).

Horowitz describes these as being from Bloch's "Official Head Gear" series (Figural Humidors - Mostly Victorian, 1997, p. 26).






The Majolica International Society

In 1871, Bernhard Bloch established a pottery in Eichwald, Bohemia and conducted business under the name B. Bloch & Company. The company was one of the few that continued to produce majolica after World War I. Under the Treaty of Versailles, Czechoslovakia was created from territories of both Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. B. Bloch & Company was renamed Eichwald Porcelain and Stove Factory in 1920. The factory was confiscated by the Nazis during the Second World War. The town of Eichwald is now named Dubi.

Bloch is recognized for production of a large variety of tobacco items known as smoker’s companions or smoke sets. These pieces had integral receptacles for cigars and matches, a roughened area to strike the match and often included an ash tray. Many of these pieces keenly captured the Victorian whimsical sense of humor. Bloch was also unique in producing a number of majolica dishes and wall plaques with erotic themes which was altogether unusual during the Victorian era.

It is unknown whether all B. Bloch majolica was marked. Certainly there are unmarked smoke sets which resemble the style of known Bloch pieces. When marked, Bloch majolica carries an impressed ‘BB’ and sometimes includes ‘Austria’. Production from later years bears the raised marks ‘Eichwald’ and ‘Czechoslovakia’.







Glazed copies of the Buller jar, of unknown date, surface every now and then.




.. Boer war pottery, Boer war china, boer war ceramics, boer war porcelain

A German humidor by an unknown maker, depicting de Wet caning Kitchener while hauled over a globe, upon which is incised a map of the Transvaal, Orange Freistaat & Natal. Ex Pieter Oosthuizen Collection.

Plinth with an illegible phrase (something like "Raubthier kralle ergielt Knalle") and the names "Kitchener" and "de Wet".
[Added 29/07/2024 - Everhard has had a look at this and believes it says "Raubtier Kralle, es gielt knalle" or "When a wild animal claws, it's time to hit"].







This French automaton pocket watch plays on a similar theme, this time with Kruger beating Chamberlain (depicted with top hat, umbrella and monocle). Kruger's arm, with cane in hand, raises and falls every second.



.. Boer war pottery, Boer war china, boer war ceramics, boer war porcelain

An example of Dutch pro-Boer ceramics. This, somewhat battered, plate was produced in Schoonhoven.

Everhard,

The example I have is inscribed on the back "327 / P.S. / Schoonhoven / Holland / No 110 / 1939".

Do you know whether 1939 is the date of manufacture or a factory number? As yet, I have been unable to find anything out about these plates.

The example in Oosthuizen (1987) is in the collection of the National Cultural History & Open-Air Museum, Pretoria.

Neville

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