Posted 7 years ago
greenjean
(5 items)
Does anyone know anything about the unusual scene on this dish? I purchased it recently at a thrift shop. I was thinking it may have something to do with the Revolutionary War because of the number of stars on the flag. Also, could the bull have something to do with John Bull? It is 6 1/2" x 4 1/2". There are no marks on the back of the dish. Any help is very much appreciated!
I will make an unqualified comment and you can consider it.
The plate shows the old iron clad ships, a union flag on land and a bull that appears to have been shot in the neck and about to die.
William Nelson's nickname was "BULL". He was a Lt. Commander in the navy 1840 to 1961 and a Major General in the Army 1861 to 1862. He was also shot in the neck and died.
You might consider that and research whether commemorative plates were ever designed and produced in his memory. My 2 cents
Also I am unable to see the flag well enough to count the stars but there appears to be 15. That would make the flag a flag authorized by the flag act of 1794. It was the only original flag to have more than 13 stars and stripes.
Putting all the pieces together might lead you to the actual meaning of the plate.
Thank you for the very knowledgeable information. That makes sense, a bull shot in the neck as a reference to William "Bull" Nelson, also shot in the neck. Now I have a starting point for my search. Plus, now my curiosity is up regarding Lt. Commander Nelson so I am anxious to Google his life story. I can't thank you enough! I will post if I find that this dish is in fact a Nelson commemorative.