Miniature urn, with South Queensferry coat of arms

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This porcelain miniature urn is decorated with the coat of arms of South Queensferry in West Lothian. 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 circular arms are divided into two. The right side represents Queen Margaret, wife of Malcolm Canmore, landing on the Binks rocks. The left side bears a cross which is said to symbolise Margaret's Christian faith. The surrounding Latin text reads 'INSIGNIA BURGI PASAGI REGINAE'.

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: 000-180-001-979-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.1994.834
• Date: Between around 1900 and 1910
  
• Material: Porcelain. Inscription: [South Queensferry coat of arms (cross and man in boat)]; Insignia Burgi Pasagi Reginae; mark: 2 Nautilus [ship] Porcelain
  Urn, miniature / souvenir
  
• Dimensions: 55 mm H x 50 mm rim D
  
• What: Urn, miniature / souvenir
  
• Subject:
• Who: Nautilus Porcelain Company, Possil Park, Glasgow (Maker)
  
• Where: Scotland, Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Possil Park
  Scotland, West Lothian, South Queensferry
  
• Event:
• Description: Porcelain urn with the coat of arms of South Queensferry, West Lothian, 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, pp 253-4. 
• Translations:
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