Creamware model of the Cenotaph in London, 1920 (c)

Creamware, manufactured by J W Botolph and Company, 1920 (c).

Transfer printed with the crest of the City of London, with a hand painted gold wreath above and a gold line around the base.

This model bears the words 'The blood of heroes is the seed of freedom'. The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, is dedicated to 'The Glorious Dead'.

The Cenotaph (or empty tomb) was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens as a monument to the dead for the marching troops to salute. Intended as a temporary structure for the day of the parade, it was made of timber and plaster. However it became a focus for national mourning and the permanent stone memorial of the same shape was made to replace it, being unveiled on Armistice Day (11 November) 1920. It is now the scene of an annual National Service of Remembrance.