1886 Antique William Ewart Gladstone Portrait Plate British Prime Minister Octagonal

$75.00

Brand Etsy

This is an antique plate featuring a likeness of William Ewart Gladstone, British Prime Minister for four non-consecutive terms from 1868 until 1894. The likeness is framed within a diamond and square along with garlands of flowers - descriptions of his political career appear around him up until the design of the plate, which dates to 1886. Below his likeness is his signature and a Roman fasces lictoriae. It should be noted that the plate states that he was Prime Minister in 1866, when in fact it was 1868. The plate is octagonal shaped and measures 9 5/8 square. The underside is marked with the British registry number of 41050, which dates the design to 1886. The plate has craze lines with some yellowish marking on the top side - the crazing looks much worse in the photos than in actual life. The underside has more extensive crazing (see photo), and there are two shallow chips, one on either opposite side, caused by one of those wire hangers (see close-up photo of the worst chip).
Despite the defects, this plate still displays well, and is a wonderful piece for someone interested in British political history.