Miniature mouse, with Aberdeen coat of arms

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This porcelain miniature mouse is decorated with the Aberdeen coat of arms. It was made for the souvenir market by the Nautilus Porcelain Company at the Possil Pottery in Glasgow and dates from between around 1900 and 1910.

The arms consist of a shield containing three castles. The shield is flanked by two leopards. The three castles are said to refer to the three fortified mounts on which the city had its origin - Castle Hill, Port Hill and St Catherine's Hill. The motto underneath the arms is 'BON ACCORD'.

Crested china became the most important type of British souvenir between 1900 and 1930. Its invention is credited to William Henry Goss (1833-1906), the owner of the Falcon Works in Stoke-on Trent. The main producer of crested china in Scotland was the Nautilus Porcelain Company, at the Possil Pottery in Glasgow. Run by the china merchants MacDougall & Sons, of 77-79 Buchanan Street, the company produced 'Nautilus' miniatures between around 1900 and 1910. The pottery closed in 1911.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-180-001-952-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland Part 2
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  H.1994.743
• Date: Between around 1900 and 1910
  
• Material: Inscription: [Aberdeen coat of arms]; Bon Accord; mark: Nautilus M Porcelain
  Mouse, miniature / souvenir
  
• Dimensions: 35 mm H x 55 mm L
  
• What: Mouse, miniature / souvenir
  
• Subject:
• Who: Nautilus Porcelain Company, Possil Park, Glasgow (Maker)
  
• Where: Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen
  Scotland, Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Possil Park
  
• Event:
• Description: Porcelain mouse with coat of arms of Aberdeen, made by the Nautilus Porcelain Company, Possil Park, Glasgow
  
• References:
  • Evans, G. Souvenirs From Roman Times to the Present Day. Edinburgh: NMS Publishing Ltd, 1999, pp 52-5. 
  • Porteous, A. The Town Council Seals of Scotland Historical, Legendary and Heraldic. Edinburgh and London: W & A K Johnston, MCMVI, p 3. 
• Translations:
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