Framed Jasperware Medallions – Kings of England, Jean Dassier Series

This striking framed display presents a set of seven blue and white jasperware medallions depicting medieval and early Tudor Kings of England, after the celebrated series of royal portraits by Jean Dassier. The medallions are mounted within a simple but elegant dark stained wooden frame with gilt slip and a neutral textile backing, creating a calm, museum‑style presentation that emphasises the crisp white profiles against the classic Wedgwood blue ground.

Each circular medallion shows a different English monarch in profile bust, modelled in finely detailed low relief. The kings are shown wearing crowns, laurel wreaths or richly ornamented helmets and armour, in the baroque medallist style of the early 18th century. Although originally designed by Jean Dassier in the 1730s as a medallic “Series of English Sovereigns from William I to George II”, the present examples are later ceramic copies produced in jasperware. The handwritten notes to the reverse specifically mention Dassier’s series and record that they were “later copied by Wedgwood and Battye in jasperware”, consistent with known 19th‑ and early 20th‑century issues listed in Wedgwood catalogues.

The seven identified monarchs, written in ink on the wooden backing board, include William the Conqueror (1066–1087), Stephen (1135–1154), Richard I (1189–1199), Edward III (1327–1377), Henry V (1413–1422), together with later kings probably including Henry VI and Edward IV. These annotations, though in a collector’s hand rather than a factory mark, provide useful historical context and help tie the portraits to the original Dassier sequence. The medallions themselves appear unrestored, with minor firing specks and very small age‑related discoloration in places, as is typical for older jasperware, but with no obvious chips or cracks noted from visual inspection of the front.

The frame measures approximately 32 cm by 38 cm overall, a convenient size for wall display in a study, library or period interior. The reverse retains an earlier paper and tape backing and a hanging cord; a careful buyer may wish to have the piece professionally reframed or the backing renewed to conservation standards, but it is perfectly serviceable for immediate use. The neutral textile mount gives good contrast and allows space around each medallion so that the set reads as a coherent decorative panel rather than as seven separate small objects.

Jasperware portrait medallions of historic figures are highly collectable, bridging the interests of Royal memorabilia, numismatics, and ceramic art. Sets relating to Jean Dassier’s medallions are especially sought after, both because of their direct connection to an important 18th‑century engraver and because they were adopted by Wedgwood as models for some of the firm’s most scholarly neoclassical productions. This framed group would appeal to collectors of antique English ceramics, Wedgwood and jasperware enthusiasts, or anyone seeking an attractive and educational decorative piece illustrating key figures from English royal history.

Overall condition is good, with light surface wear to the frame and expected age toning to the backing materials but strong, well‑preserved detail to the white relief portraits. The composition and subject matter make this an evocative and display‑ready example of historical jasperware portraiture.