Sans Everything from Henry Stacy Marks's Seven Ages of Man series. This circular plaque is 15 inches in diameter, and dates from c.1873. Images reproduced here by kind permission of Robert Walker of Polka Dot Antiques, LLC. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
This is the last scene of the series, and bears the inscription, "The seventh age Is second childishness and mere oblivion," inscribed on the verso. The title "Sans Everything" is derived from Jacques' speech "All the world's a stage" from Shakespeare's As You Like It:
Last Scene of all
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth,sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
The plaque, with its gold background, features an elderly man seated in a chair with a younger woman standing behind him. The two watch a young girl playing in the garden.
As noted in connection with his Seven Ages tile panel for Minton, Marks devised many alternative designs for this series. They were used not only for sets of tiles, but also for circular wall plaques like this with gilt backgrounds; square 6 inch tiles; and moon flasks. The background may vary somewhat from plaque to plaque. In some of the rectangular examples of this one, a dog can be seen curled up, sleeping at the old man's feet.
Bibliography
Austwick, Jill and Brian Austwick. The Decorated Tile. London: Pitman House Ltd., 1980. 101.
Lockett, Terence A. Collecting Victorian Tiles. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club Ltd. 1979: 135-37.
Created 2 November 2023