A look at the design, market and legacy of Victorian pottery

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Holy Moley! Majolica Cows!

In 1984 Wendy’s fast food chain made a star of retired Russian immigrant manicurist Clara Peller when she was cast in a commercial touting the chain’s slogan “Where’s the beef?” The catchphrase became a pop sensation worldwide resulting in other commercials with Clara and a 31% jump in the sale of Wendy's hamburgers catapulting the company to the third most popular hamburger chain behind McDonald's and Burger King. An international passion for beef that began in prehistoric times continues to this day.

Cows and bulls and bison have been a mainstay of majolica iconography from the beginning. Of course they have! Any tableware dedicated to elegant service is going to represent products from the scientific genus Bos; mainstays of victorian dining, milk, cream, cheese, butter and beef.

Majolica made by both large and small potteries, English, American and European Continental have bovine everywhere! Here are a few examples.

George Jones majolica calla lily cheese bell
George Jones majolica acanthus cheese bell
George Jones majolica acanthus cheese bell
Adams & Bromley tall cow finial cheese bell
Adams & Bromley low cow finial cheese bell
Wedgwood majolica cow finial cheese bell
Wedgwood majolica cow finial cheese bell

Cow and apple finial cheese bell

Cow finial majolica cheese bell

Cow finial blackberry cheese bell

Cow finial low blackberry cheese bell

Skey majolica cheese weddge

Adams & Bromley pineapple butter

Adams & Bromley pineapple butter

Adams & Bromley pineapple butter

Majolica Brownfield cow butter
GJ majolica cow butter

Wedgwood majolica butter dish

Etruscan Majolica butter dish

Cow finial covered dish

Majolica cow terrine

Cow finial majolica terrine

George Joness majolica terrine
Brownfield majolica terrine
Continental majolica smoking stand

Continental majolica candle stand

Continental majolica card holder
Continental majolica humidor

Austrian bull humidor
Austrian buffalo majolica humidor

Austrian majolica buffalo humidor

George Jones America compote

Eichwald majolica bison pedestal 

Caldas bull toothpick holder

Caldas bull decanter

Wedgwood majolica bull

Massier majolica bull

Orchies majolica cow
Eichwald majolica cow with calf
Massier majolica steer with cart

Majolica Massier bulls with cart

Majolica Palissy wall pocket

Sergent majolica wall pocket

Cow majolica milk pitcher

Bull majolica creamer

Wedgwood majolica transfer plate

Adams & Co. majolica intaglio plate

So, what became of Clara Peller? Well, her moment in the spotlight was brief, dying at the age of 85 just three years after fame brought her worldwide attention, but she lives on as the embodiment of one of the most successful ad campaigns in history

Wendy's spokesperson Clara Peller. (1902-1987)

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