ABSTRACT
Caricatures figure as the primary — and in many cases, the only — contemporary visual record of events, and were produced in quick response to the public's reaction to various political and social issues. English society or politics — nevertheless used English satires to decorate their wares for export to the British Isles. During the regency, caricatures also were printed on cotton handkerchiefs, and in at least one instance, exported to Europe. Popular caricatures adorned china and stoneware, including bowls, plates, cups, mugs and other items. In 1814, an officer in the Peninsula reported that British cloth merchants in Spain printed caricatures on their handkerchiefs as 'a most capital mode' of recommending their wares, showing 'Bonaparte's reverses of fortune, and defeats in Russia, with other comic subjects.' One reason why caricatures were so versatile was the fact that artists had to draw upon designs familiar to the public.
