This little porcelain dessert plate is part of a large dinner service given to the Duke of Wellington by King Frederick Augustus IV of Saxony (now part of Germany). Find out how he got there, who went with him, and consider what his final days there may have been like.Дescription: Sometimes you can find clues about the story of a historic house in unexpected places. Some, like the sculpture 'Napoleon as the Peacemaker' by Canova, were given to the Duke to celebrate his achievement in defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.ДЇurther Learning Idea: Research Napoleon's exile to St Helena. The Duke of Wellington owned many items related to his enemy, Napoleon. He was imprisoned on the island by the British, in a house called Longwood where he died on. This is a copy, made in bronze.ДЄfter his defeat at Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was exiled to the remote island of St Helena because both the victors, and France, didn't know what to do with him. The original mask was made of plaster and would have been a direct impression of Napoleon's face when he died in 1821. By the 19th century, it was common to make death masks of famous people and display them as objects in their own right. Think about using symbols and imagery that reflect your story.Дescription: Death masks were often made for painters and sculptors so that they could use them to create images of people who had died. The shield was displayed every year at the Waterloo Banquets held at Apsley House from 1820 to 1852.ДЇurther Learning Idea: Design your own ceremonial shield, highlighting your achievements for everyone to see. Wellington sits on a horse in the centre of the shield and is surrounded by his generals as he is crowned the Angel of Victory.

Around the outside of the shield you can see ten sections of decoration which depict all of the Duke's famous battles from 1803 to 1815. This object is a celebration of Wellington's military victories. The shield cost the bankers and merchants ВЈ1,000 (which is over ВЈ1 million today). It was finally given to the Duke in 1822 along with two giant candelabras. It's a large object (over one metre wide), made from silver gilt, which took many years to design and make.

It was designed by Thomas Stothard who was inspired by the classical description of Achilles's shield in Homer's Iliad. This shield was a gift from the bankers and merchants of London. Description: After Wellington's victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, he became a national hero.

Bronze plaque tavern keeper