Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840

Commedia dell’arte is a form of theatre that originated in Europe around the 14th century. Characterized by masked performers, it evolved to have varying configurations in different parts of the continent.  In Britain, enthusiasm for commedia dell'arte waned in the early 1700s and instead harlequinade evolved as a comic adaptation of it. Harlequinade performances were initially mimed but later included speaking roles and music. By 1800, harlequinade had become a goofy slapstick affair, and the lovers Harlequin and Columbine were pivotal characters. In those days, an evening at the theatre featured a mix of dramas and pantomimes, and a clownish  harlequinade based on the pantomime was a nice touch to end the performance. Harlequin’s mischievous bawdy antics made him a lively addition to the stage and he—and Columbine, to a lesser degree—enlivened the English stage into the Victorian era.

What of figures of Harlequin and Columbine? In the 1730s, Meissen made the first ceramic portrayals of Harlequin and Columbine. These porcelain figures were inspired by engravings of commedia dell’arte characters.  English porcelain factories followed suit, using both engravings and Meissen prototypes to influence their designs. I believe Derby first made Harlequin with a black mask from around 1770. Staffordshire figures of Harlequin and Columbine are quite rare and closely resemble Derby porcelain forms. 

Note that Harlequin holds a black mask, but his face and hands are white.The figure above was made without a bocage, but I have recorded several examples with bocage--such as the example below.(Image source unknown.)

I thought you might enjoy this theatrical print, published in 1827. It shows Mr. Ellar as Harlequin. Note that again it is the mask that is black, not Harlequin's skin.

Unfortunately, cheap copies of Harlequin can today be found masquerading as the Real Thing. They pop up periodically on eBay. If you know nothing and want a quick pointer: I have never seen a titled early Harlequin, yet reproductions are frequently titled. The figure below is a reproduction--I wish I had a better picture. Meanwhile,  I have a yarn to tell about a reproduction Harlequin recently described as circa 1820. Please click here or on Ouch on the Believe It menu at the top of the page to read all about it. 

Calling all collectors.  Don't miss John Howard's new web site. I must admit I am addicted to the display of delectable figures and wares. One touch on my iPhone screen and I am there.....and I do this every day, more than once! http://www.antiquepottery.co.uk/antique-pottery-and-ceramics/

“Hee cannot be a gentleman which loveth not a dogge,” proclaimed the sixteenth-century Puritan cleric, John Northbrooke in his somber Treatise against Dicing,  Even the strictest Puritan approved loving a dog!

Today's athletes are brawny human beasts, but early nineteenth-century sports stars were—with the exception of pugilists—animals. If you page through pre-Victorian copies of the illustrious Sporting Magazine, you will find engraving after engraving memorializing skilled horses and dogs. For dogs, conformation had not yet become a matter of concern (oh how shallow we have become!) Instead, dogs of great skill were illustrated for all to admire. Thus, Lord Camelford’s pugnacious dog Trusty earned a full page in the Sporting Magazine to display his squat, battle-scarred torso, and Billy, a rat-catching terrier of the 1820s, was depicted setting new records for that now-defunct sport. But most universally admired were gun dogs. After all, a gentleman’s achievements in the field were primarily the successes of his dogs.

The pointer was the aristocratic dog of the pre-Victorian era. Pointers arrived in England from Spain in the early 1700s. Some of those early dogs were given Spanish names--was it to make them feel more at home in their new land?  George Stubbs, renowned for his fabulous animal paintings, painted a Spanish pointer named Sancho in 1766. 

In an era when plagiarism prospered, Stubbs's famous image was to become representative of all pointers for decades to come.  Engravings mimicking Stubbs's Spanish Pointer were used into the 19th century to represent then-famous pointers. 

By 1800, breeding pointers with setters and foxhounds had yielded the English pointer. This dog was perhaps smarter than its owners! Pointers now fastidiously disdained rough country and water. Wily pointers were known to have refused to hunt for poor marksmen, and one even returned home in disgust after his master had fired repeatedly without bringing down a bird.

Dash was one of the most famous pointers of his time. This dog's fame earned him an engraving in the Rev. William Daniel’s Rural Sports. Dash's owner was persuaded to trade him for £160 worth of champagne and burgundy, a hogshead of claret, a fine gun, and another pointer--but only on the stipulation that if the dog were ever unable to hunt, his owner could buy him back for 50 guineas. In due course, a broken leg ended Dash’s hunting career, and he returned home to assume a new vocation as a stud.  Meanwhile, I am certain Dash begat lots of other dogs, some of whom must have borne their father's name.

What of ceramic pointers? Well, the example below is clearly derived from George Stubbs's famous painting, but I don't like it one bit. Why? Well, it is porcelain and, to my eyes, totally devoid of soul. It was made by Derby circa 1775, and is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

But earthenware collectors, there is hope! Staffordshire's potters too created versions of Dash.  This dog's doulful expression, tight crouch, intense gaze and beautiful bocage make it irresistable. 

I have had a very similar dog in my collection for a long time and have not, until now, seen another that approached it for quality. This bocage is typical of the Enoch Wood manufactory, and you will go a long way to find a nicer example. If it makes you feel better, our Puritan dog-lover, John Northbrooke, would have blessed your purchase!

I love daft figures. Last year, I photographed this figure of Neptune in the reserve collection at the Brighton Museum, and it certainly qualifies as daft.  I think Neptune is with a triton--that mythical half-man half-fish combination. The figure is a whopping 15-3/4" tall, excluding the trident.

This really is an extraordinary object and it makes quite a statement. Okay, maybe this is one I wouldn't want to own, but I do find it fascinating. Despite its grotesque form, it clearly was a labor of love. Note the gilding on the hat, the dolphin's carefully shaded scales, the floral swags on the shield. And the back has not been short-changed. I haven't seen anything like it, but yesterday I discovered this in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. 

This figure form is the same, but it has been decorated in colored glazes rather than enamels. If you thought the enamel-painted one was ugly, what do you make of this?  You can link to the Fitzwilliam Museum's object record hereand see more pictures. Note the Fitzwilliam attributes its figure to Ralph Wood, and I have no reason to think otherwise. The enamel-painted version looks like it too belongs to the 1780 -1800 period.  Having verbally abused Brighton's ugly figure, I recant: I would probably grab it if it were for sale. 

And that reminds me of something else. As I was leaving Brighton Museum--always a wrenching moment for I love the collection SO, and Stella Beddoe is an amazing Keeper--I spied a huge modern object in one of the foyer display cases.  

Titled Bud and Barkage and made by Carole Windham in 2000, this HUGE dog with bocage is a modern-day interpretation of what our potters once did. No doubt some will like Carole's clever work and others won't, but I was tickled to see that our potters' skills continue firing the imaginations of a new generation of artists.

I have had several emails asking about the Ralph Wood Spanish Musicians in the blog posting below. They were bought from John Howard.  No surprise that John recognized their quality and rarity!

"You get what you pay for" goes the saying, and the more we pay, the more we apparently value our purchase.  Look at overpriced fashion accessories: the price paid seemingly determines the 'value' placed on an otherwise junky item.  Within my family, the same applies.  I dole out PLENTY of excellent advice.  My advice is totally free. It costs nothing. The result: it is valued at nothing!  Nobody listens. And it goes without saying  that I am ALWAYS right and never in doubt!

Of course, nobody ever has to wonder what I am thinking, and that includes you, dear reader, for, like it or not, I give plenty of free advice. So it comes as no surprise that the many people who enjoy my blog don't follow my advice! That's just fine. I love you all anyway and thank you for simply hearing me out.....but let me assure you I follow the very advice I give you!

Case in point: I jump up and down encouraging you to buy things in wonderful condition and to grab a marked piece. I am not saying buy a tired little thing that happens to have a mark. It goes without saying we don't buy purely for a mark. But when the piece is spiffy AND it has a mark....well, what are you waiting for?  I didn't wait. I hopped right onto this pair of deer.

This is a superb pair with only restoration to one ear. Those bocages are totally original. The glazes and enameling are great, and they are marked SALT.  I checked my SALT page (as can you by going to the MAKERS tab at the top of this page.)  I had not documented a true pair of Salt deer. This pair was a first. Interestingly, Salt only made female deer in this size. Both the left and right hand side of this pair are ladies, and my archive revealed that this is as it should be. Salt must have been a smart man. He just knew those antlers were destined to break. Or was Salt foreseeing the era of same sex marriages? Who knows.  Anyway, I bought these for a very reasonable price from John Howard. John immediately pointed out the most endearing feature on the deers' coats.  The painter painted the white spots by using his/her finger to remove the red-brown paint. As a result, each spot has a finger print smudged in red on it.

Above all, I am very grateful to readers who listen to my needs enough to let me know when they have something special in their collections. It really does help my research enormously.  When I immerse myself in a topic, it is amazing what I learn. Sometimes I genuinely feel that there is a Pottery God who rewards my efforts by tossing information my way.  I have been lost in the world of Ralph Wood figures for months now. And, to my joy, this pair of figures came to light this month.

These figures are very definitely attributable to Ralph Wood and were made circa 1790.  About 210 years old! Is that not amazing?  Look at the silky enamels, and the yummy, creamy color palette. And don't you love the way the glaze has puddled at the base of each figure?--you can really see this on the picture of the backs. 

To top it all, the figures are impressed 71 and 73.  If this were not enough, there is more: I have only seen one enamel-painted Ralph Wood male Spanish Dancer. It was heavily restored and not numbered. Number 71 is a new addition to my ever-growing list of Ralph Wood enamel figure-number combinations. I have the female Spanish Dancer figure, unnumbered, twice. Now I have verification of a figure-number combination with this pair. Sweet, is it not? 

For any unfortunate soul reading this who actually prefers porcelain to pottery, here is some free advice.  Have a look at the Derby porcelain figure of van Dunder currently on eBay ( item 260820821378) and compare it to the pottery figure made at the same time.

 I am sure the porcelain figure is probably just lovely...if you are a porcelain collector. But the pottery figure is SO much nicer. And remember,  I am never wrong and never in doubt!!:)

If you want to read more about the Van Dunder figure, go to the FIGURES tab at the top of the page. Scroll quite far down and you will read all you could want to know about the greatest comic actor of the early 19th century. Fame is not fleeting if your image is captured in clay!

The NEC Antiques Show is on in Birmingham and I long to be there. Someone sent me these pictures of John Howard's stand. For me they were a power shot, a boost of excitement that will push me through the day. I wish, wish, wish I could be there. If you are in driving distance, GO. I have heard from several collectors who report that it was a better than usual show, so don't miss out!

A few years ago, I came across this figure. It is titled St. Paul and marked Walton.

John Walton did indeed make a figure of St. Paul that looks like this figure, so what's wrong with this example?  Well, the problem is the bocage.  It is a bocage normally found only on figures we attribute to "Sherratt."  Yes, "Sherratt" also made a figure of St. Paul with just this bocage....but the "Sherratt" St. Paul looks quite different.

Can you see what I mean?  On the left we have a Walton figure, on the right a "Sherratt" figure. (Click on the figures to enlarge.)  Our problem figure blends the Walton figure form on the left with the bocage used by "Sherratt", as seen on the right. The restoration--if you can call it that--had been very well done.  Unless you knew the bocage was wrong, you could be fooled. The join on the trunk was very well executed. Stripping the entire thing with paint stripper was perhaps the only way to know....unless you had done your homework and knew what bocage to expect on a figure marked "Walton."

I have in the past few years seen two other figures that were marriages between a good figure and a good bocage--the problem in each case was that the bocage was not the correct one for the figure.Yes, the work had been very well done, so  only knowledge of the correct bocage form for each figure protected collectors from falling into a trap.  Again, paint stripper would have revealed the truth, but this is a pretty drastic step.  I have watched collectors and dealers as I talk about bocages. Their eyes glaze over. But this is vital knowledge and we all need to tune in to it. Knowledge is power!

I was browsing around the web today and discovered an old auction listing for a Rural Pastime figure. (Photos are the property of Auction By The Bay and are used here solely for educational purposes.)

Pretty, isn't it? To my eyes, the figure was definitely made by Ralph Wood...but the bocage was not!  The bocage is of the generic form used by many potters. Clearly it had been transplanted onto this figure to replace a lost or broken bocage.  Removing a damaged bocage and replacing it with an intact one off another figure can be a lot easier than restoring correctly.

In this case, it is easy to see that the bocage has been reattached because the join in the tree trunk is quite visible. Despite this, the figure sold at auction for $1000.  The auction listing was quite upfront about the damage to the tree trunk and other damage. There was certainly enough information to set off alarm bells and a full condition report probably provided additional information. 

Remember that bocages do break off figures and they can be reattached. This is not a disaster scenario. I accept an original bocage being reattached. After all, all the original material is present and accounted for. But having the wrong bocage stuck on is a no-no.  Below is the Rural Pastime figure as it should look, with its original bocage in place.

As you look at the correct figure and compare it to our problem child, notice some other things. The girl should hold a book, not a flower. And the boy should have a stick in his hand, not a horn. How was this poor fella supposed to play two instruments simultaneously?  An uninformed restorer improvises. A top restorer goes to infinite effort to restore correctly. I supply pictures to help restorers get it right, but alas one or two restorers routinely request this assistance. If you need a figure restored, make sure it is done correctly. Shout if you need help.

If you are burned out on watch holders, please hang in a while longer.  I want you to see this watch holder, which, like John Howard's example (blogged last week) originates from Yorkshire.

This watch holder is impressed with the mark of Dixon Austin & Co, a mark dating the piece to 1820-1826.  The Dixon Austin pot bank is known for its lustre wares, but it also produced this particular watch holder in Pratt colors. Of course, pink luster is much prettier!  Some of these watch holders have a finial atop, but this example was not made that way.  There is a chip on the base, but that's it. The really beautiful lustring combined with vivid enamels makes this so eye catching.

Now to the watch in the otherwise-gaping hole.  This watch holder has a larger than normal opening--a full 2 inches, thus bigger than the size 18S watch that seems to be eBay's largest offering. A brilliant and very kind friend came to the rescue. He found a very old watch dial that was 2" across.  I think dials this size date from the earlier decades of the 19th century.  Anyway, the dial fits flush across the opening and looks just perfect.

You can see the Dixon Austin & Co mark impressed on the front center of the base. Unusually in-your-face for a pottery mark, is it not?  Notice the holes to either side of the mark. These, I believe, allowed you to screw the watch holder to a mantle. That way, it couldn't tip over.  So if you find an antique surface with two holes in it just  a little bit apart, you will know what once stood there! 

On a totally different topic: I am finicky about arranging my collection. Everything has to stand next to something that complements it. Lighting has to be perfect, and nothing is ever two-deep on my shelves.  The one place where no rules apply is in my very utilitarian office. Three monitors face me for much of my day. No pottery? This was too harsh. So I stuck some shelves on the wall ahead of me, and pottery rotates on and off those shelves, with no thought to arrangement. Something new, something I am thinking about or writing about, or something I just want to look at...this is a great way to be always enjoying the thrill of my collection.  The little leopards I bought from John Howard--blogged about last month--have arrived.  Here they are, placed on one of those shelves, and on either side of the spill vase from the same pot bank.

I have declared the chest in our entrance another 'rotational spot'.  Each week, I put something different on it.  My collection gives me endless pleasure, and I know yours must do the same for you.

In future, I will post to the blog every Tuesday. My every-fourth-day schedule is taking too much time, and I need to focus on the next publication. Meanwhile, there is three years of material in the old blog postings if you want to explore.  You can access these under Archives on the right hand side of this page.