A Framed Portrait Plaque, circa 1878.
Depicting Joan of Arc.
Retailed by Howell, James & Co, Regent Street London.

Provenance: Exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878.

Published in Joan Maria Hansen's, Howell, James & Co and the Aesthetic Movement, The Decorative Arts Society Journal no 34, 2010.

Frame: 24.5cm (9¾ inches) square
Plaque: 23.5cm (9¼ inches) diameter

  Howell, James & Co exhibited at the 1878 Paris Exhibition. Their stand was designed by Lewis Foreman Day (1845-1910). An image of the stand's façade was used by the firm as a label to be attached to items from the exhibition. We know this because these labels say 'From the collection of....' implying the label is to accompany objects from the collection. The mention of '3 Prize Medals' indicates these were printed post 1878 and then attached to items that remained unsold after the exhibition. The portion of the label in red ink would have been changed depending on its intended application.

 Howell, James & Co held annual china painting competitions open to both amateur and professional artists, these run from 1876 to the mid 1880's. The 1878 Paris Exhibition saw the firm display the best of these competition pieces from that year, including two portrait plaques of Dante and Raphael designed by L. F. Day. These two plaques can be seen on the façade of the Paris stand along side Milton, Shakespeare and Henry W. Longfellow.

 The plaque bears the artist's monogram WWQ, at this date this is unknown to whom it belongs.