Rye Pottery

Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson

A hand-painted ceramic figure of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, British Naval Commander and charismatic national hero.

Hand-made &hand-painted using freehand brushwork the intricate detail on the front of his uniform is quite some feat for our decorators to pull-off, but we hope reflects quite how much Nelson loved his dress uniform and medals. And do take a look at the brandy barrel on the reverse of the figure, rumour has it that his body was stored in a brandy barrel after his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 to ensure its safe return to England for burial. Nelson even sports a hint at the famous eye injury he sustained during the capture of Corsica.

Widely regarded as the greatest officer in the history of the British Navy, this is a design that’s close to our heart. The now late Tarquin Cole attended Dartmouth Naval College and became a naval officer before moving into the world of Art & Design. He retained a life-long interest in the Navy & Military history and this figure was conceived and researched by him and then modelled by Neal French.

We also produce a companion figure for Nelson in the form of the Admiral’s beloved Lady Emma Hamilton. One of the great scandals of the age, this illicit love affair was much gossiped about during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s and eventually saw Nelson leaving his wife for his beloved Emma. Regular customers will know we quite often have a feminist bee in our bonnet so do consider reading up on this impressive woman.