Have you seen this extraordinary structure in the stock of Martyn Edgell? A pearlware palace?....well, maybe not a palace, but certainly a castle.
The castle is impressively big and the pictures just don't do it justice. Is it a spill holder? I think not, but perhaps those three large vases were intended to hold flowers. Or maybe it was intended to be part of a military re-enactment that included tin soldiers. Would that not have been quite a site? On the other hand, it may have been purely decorative. I have seen another castle just like this, in an important private collection. It stands on the mantle with a lion and unicorn (Walton, with bocages) to either side, and it looks fabulous. Note the scale. At almost 14" across by 12 high, it has quite a presence.
I know of only one other example of a castle like this. The example alongside is in the Art Institute of Chicago, so it is definitely Not For Sale. I was thrilled to find it, as it brings the grand total of castles of this form to three.
The castle has a cousin! I found it within the pages of the Earle Collection.
As you see, this time there is a spire atop the keep, which has been modified to include a clock. The result is a church. Very clever. I have no idea where this church is now--the Earle Collection has long since been scattered--but I do hope that spire has survived. Meanwhile, if you have the perfect spot in your home for Martyn's castle, know that you are unlikely to ever see another.
