Rule Britannia: Four Centuries Of British Style, Power & Taste

Rule Britannia! celebrates the union of artistry and craft that symbolizes and captures the social history, ingenuity, aspirations, and sensibilities of one of the world’s greatest empires.

Examining significant moments in the development of iconic British potteries, Rule Britannia! documents their emergence in the late 17th century to their domination of the world market in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Exhibition Programs & Events

Tuesday May 29,  5:30 – 7 pm
Exclusive Patron Circle Members’ Opening
Dr. Peter Kaellgren (Rule Britannia! curator) and Rachel Gotlieb (Connections curator) will lead tours of their exhibitions at 5:30 pm followed by a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Jamie Kennedy Kitchens. Opening remarks will be made at 6:30 pm by British Consul General Jonathan Dart.

Wednesday May 30
Members’ Preview Day
Members enjoy unlimited guest privileges. Plan to visit the exhibition and bring your friends on this day during regular Museum hours (10 am – 6 pm). The exhibition curators will be in the galleries at 2 pm.

Wednesday May 30, 12 – 1:30 pm
Members’ Preview Lunch
Join exhibition (and Gardiner Museum) curators Dr. Peter Kaellgren and Rachel Gotlieb as they give an exclusive Members-only talk about Rule Britannia! The talk will be preceded by a British-inspired two-course meal by Jamie Kennedy Kitchens.
$40

Tuesday June 12,  3 – 5 pm
Royal and Other British Commemoratives
Speaker: Dr. Peter Kaellgren, Interim Chief Curator
After the Restoration in 1661, British potteries began producing chargers or large ornamental plates decorated with images of the King. This talk considers the expanding range of commemorative pieces and how they reflect their period and culture.
$25 (includes tea)

Tuesday June 19, 3 – 5 pm
A Brief History of Tea Wares
Speaker: Dr. Peter Kaellgren, Interim Chief Curator
Since its introduction from China in the 1600s, tea has played a special role in British society. British potteries responded by producing teapots, tea cups and other utensils. Come learn about British tea wares from the late 1600s through to the present.
$25 (includes tea)

Tuesday June 26, 6:30 – 8 pm
Crafting New Traditions: Synthesizing Craft and Industry from Royal Crown Derby
Speaker: Ken Eastman, British ceramic artist
In 2006, Ken Eastman, one of the acknowledged masters of the non-functional vessel in Britain, began working with the Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company to develop new forms in bone china and discovering new ways of decoration. Ken will discuss his independent studio work as well as his collaboration with Royal Crown Derby.
$15 General; $10 Members
Supported by: The British Consulate-General, Toronto

Wednesday September 12, 6:30 – 8 pm
British Ceramics Since 1946
Speaker: Rachel Gotlieb, Senior Curator
An overview of recent developments in modern and contemporary British ceramics including the New British Ceramics Movement, the decline of the Staffordshire factories and the rise of postindustrial craft as well as the impact of the Turner Prize on contemporary ceramics.
$15 General; $10 Members

Sponsored By Richard Rooney And Laura Dinner

Exhibition Design By PS Design