My apologies for the day-late blog posting last week. I was in the bush in South Africa, and the Internet had big problems. Today, my feathers are sufficiently ruffled by an eBay listing that I have added an update to my OUCH page (under BELIEVE IT on the menu bar, or click HERE).
Its never difficult to find inspiration for my blog when I look at John Howard's site. This weekend, he added this charming BIRDS NEST figure.. The figure is impressed HALL on the back. This is thought to be the mark of Samuel Hall, who was active from around 1818 into the 1850s. Marked HALL figures are not that common, so the mark is rather special.
This is my version of John's BIRDS NEST boy. Without looking at the mark on either my figure or John's, I would have known both were Hall figures. How would I have known? Well, blue and red carnations with large yellow centers are a feature of Hall figures.
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I think that this little BIRDS NEST girl is also possibly made by Hall, but it is not marked. Why do I think she may be a Hall figure? Having looked at lots of figures with this rather common bocage form, I have noticed that red and blue carnations occur routinely on Hall figures.
Salt figures of BIRDS NEST children look very like those made by Hall, but I have to see blue flowers on a marked Salt figure. Here is a pair of BIRDS NEST figures marked SALT.
As you can see, the Salt figures are very like the Hall figures. The molds are indistinguishable, and the bocage leaves and flowers are formed similarly. But the painting of the bocage flowers tells who made what, if you know what I mean. Of course, no guess work is required when a figure is marked, but in the absence of a mark, look at the flowers.
John Walton, the most prolific producer of marked figures, made quite different bird nesters. The figures below are both marked WALTON.
John Walton, the most prolific producer of marked figures, made quite different bird nesters. The figures below are both marked WALTON.
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I do think the Salt and Hall figures are particularly charming but the Walton ones do nothing for me. Of course, sundry other potters also had a go at birds nest figures. The two below can be attributed to "Sherratt".
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These two "Sherratt" bird nesters are smaller than the Walton, Hall, and Salt figures, but they ooze charm. Their bocages and bases confirm their attribution.
Lest the abundance of pictures misleads you into thinking that BIRDS NEST figures grow on trees, think again. These figures are all difficult to find, particularly in reasonable condition. If you see one and you like it, grab it. Despite their rarity, I have 61 images lined up for the Bird Nesting chapter in my new book. In the captions, I attribute unmarked figures when possible, often pointing out some of the features that lead to my conclusion. This work would not be possible without the extraordinary generosity of all of you who have shared images with me. In the coming weeks, I will be approaching my cut-off date for new images. If you have been meaning to send me a picture, it is not too late, and I would love to hear from you.
Lest the abundance of pictures misleads you into thinking that BIRDS NEST figures grow on trees, think again. These figures are all difficult to find, particularly in reasonable condition. If you see one and you like it, grab it. Despite their rarity, I have 61 images lined up for the Bird Nesting chapter in my new book. In the captions, I attribute unmarked figures when possible, often pointing out some of the features that lead to my conclusion. This work would not be possible without the extraordinary generosity of all of you who have shared images with me. In the coming weeks, I will be approaching my cut-off date for new images. If you have been meaning to send me a picture, it is not too late, and I would love to hear from you.
