Pearce, Leonard - Revolutionary Heroes

Although these four wax miniatures are by a British artist Leonard Pearce and of 18C sitters, they have been included in the American 20C gallery, as they are of 20C creation.

Little has so far been found out about Leonard Pearce, but his full name may be Leonard John Pearce and his work seem to have been also used on items issued by Franklin Mint.

The sitters are Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, Lafayette, and George Washington.

The miniatures can be classified as modern decorative items, but they were acquired for the collection because of their high quality production and as good examples of the skill of wax modellers, who did tend to make multiple copies of their original wax sculptures. As these have been scanned through glass the quality of detail is not as clear as one would like.

Each miniature has a printed and hand numbered citation on the reverse. In abbreviated form this states, "one of a series of four miniatures...commissioned to celebrate the bi-centenary...modelled by Leonard Pearce". This set is number 60. 1165a, 1165b, 1165c, 1165d