Wemyss Ware Carp Tureen

Contributed by Museum of Edinburgh

This gigantic tureen in the shape of a carp fish was designed to be used on a dining table to hold soup. It was both decorative and useful and would certainly have provided a talking point for guests at the dinner table!

The tureen is said to have been one of only three made before the designer ordered the mould to be broken. It is made from earthenware and was made at Robert Heron's Fife Pottery at Galatown, Kircaldy in Fife, Scotland.

Wemyss ware was first made in the 1880s and was named after the Wemyss family who lived at nearby Wemyss Castle. Wemyss ware is often decorated with brightly coloured fruit, flowers, animals and insects.

The carp tureen was probably modelled on an original Chinese porcelain carp displayed at Wemyss Castle.

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About this object

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Location

Galatown, Kirkaldy, Fife

Culture
Period

c1885

Theme
Size
Colour
Material

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