Wedgwood "The Liberty Bowl" — Signing of the Declaration of Independence

Updated on July 19, 2025: This has been sold.

On the bottom: "The Liberty Bowl, showing the showing the signing of the Declaration of Independence and historic landmarks of Colonial Philadelphia. Made exclusively for J.E. Caldwell & Co., est. Philadelphia 1839."

See the note below for an explanation of the engraving.

Made in England by Wedgwood of Etruria & Barlaston.

On the rim of the bowl, text from the Declaration:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

On the outside of the bowl, eight historic landmarks from 18th Century Philadelphia:

• Liberty Bell
• First U.S. Bank
• Christ Church
• Merchants Exchange
• Carpenters Hall
• University of Pennsylvania
• Congress Hall
• Betsy Ross House

Interspersed between these scenes are the leaves of branches from the trees from which Philadelphia's four major East/West streets derive their names:

• Chestnut
• Walnut
• Mulberry (now called Arch St)
• Locust

Note that the Trumbull painting on which the engraving in the center is based is often incorrectly described as depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Instead, the painting shows the five-man drafting committee presenting their draft of the Declaration to the Congress, an event that took place on June 28, 1776.

Size: 5.25" high x 12.5" in diameter

Shipping: $20. Please allow two weeks for shipping.