A very fine c.1853 transferware porcelain medallion depicting Harriet Beecher Stowe, surrounded by freed slaves with broken chains, grateful abolitionists, and bearing the text, "Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Author of Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Items like this, or the similar stoneware decorative objects created to commemorate the death of Elijah P. Lovejoy, were an important part of the New England abolitionist's household, every day, visual reminders of the decades long struggle to see slavery abolished and slaves emancipated in America.
The present artifact, measuring 8.75 inches, is beautifully preserved. It is glazed porcelain with blue transfer of the print, and hand-finished with gold highlights over the glaze. There is one small loss at the top rim as shown. Otherwise, superbly preserved.
We have not been able to locate another example, though there is a similar stoneware edition we were able to locate, apparently known through just one surviving example.
