Myrna Schkolne: Early Staffordshire Figures

Found on the web and described as English Pearlware Walton "Widow" figurine, 10 inches high, ca. 1830. Good condition. (Note: woman's thumb is missing.)

Nice to know the thumb is missing but I have to ask: WHERE IS THE BOCAGE?

And how about this one: Early Staffordshire figure of cupid selling sweets, after a Meissen original, showing a barefoot cupid with a basket of sweetmeats, a black hat to his head, on a grassy mound base. Circa 1800 Condition: very minor enamel loss.

I happen to have seen photographs of this figure from a US collector who bought it and returned it. Her concern--and mine: where is the bocage?? Surely "very minor enamel loss" does not include the loss of the whole bocage?

Another sighting is this pearlware hairdresser group, offered at $1900. Described as English Pearlware Figure Group, c. 1790-1810. Rare "Hair Dresser." Excellent condition. Minor restored chips.

Again, I wonder what happened to the bocage. It is theoretically possible that a bocage could be lost in manufacture...but I have yet to see this.

Lest you think 'issues' are confined to bocages, coming up at auction at Chorley's UK on Jan 21 is this uncharming pair. Descrbed as A pair of Staffordshire Ralph Wood type figures, Elijah and the Widow, each seated by a flower encrusted tree, raised on marbled bases

An estimate of GBP150-180 goes along with the listing. There is no mention of age, but the figures are of recent manufacture, probably from somewhere in Asia. Staffordshire?  Ralph Wood? Ouch!