The Gardiner’s collection of ceramics for the Canadian market includes pottery made in Canada in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with a focus on Ontario and Quebec, and tableware made in England for export to various parts of the British Empire.
The group of tableware made for export to the Canadian market consists of transfer-printed earthenware with Canadian imagery made in the second half of the nineteenth century in the potteries of Staffordshire, England. Presenting arctic scenery, topographical views, and representations of Canadian sports among other themes, these products contributed to the development of a romantic image of Canada, and the dissemination of themes of nationhood and identity.
This collection was greatly enhanced by a gift from Barbara and James Moscovich.
1. Cake Plate with Arctic Landscape (detail), England, Manufacturer Unknown, c.1840, The Barbara and James Moscovich Collection of Canadian Historical China, G13.15.44
2. Cake Plate with Arctic Landscape (detail), England, Manufacturer Unknown, c.1840, The Barbara and James Moscovich Collection of Canadian Historical China, G13.15.44
3. Dessert Plate from the Milton Service, "Our Night Camp on Eagle River - Expecting the Crees" (detail), England, Stoke-On-Trent, Minton, c.1967, Purchased with a Gift from N. Robert Cumming, G04.20.1