Leaf Mat Group

I love this sheep, formerly in the stock of John Howard.  

This sheep has many virtues! It is unusual, perky, quirky, and oh-so-pretty. I am fascinated by the bocage. I call bocages of this sort "leaf mats." Each of the two giant bocage frond is a rounded "mat" comprising very many leaves.

To my mind, each frond really does almost look as if someone tried to create a mat by layering leaves in a circular pattern of sorts. The overall effect is very pretty. The little round blobs that you see on the back of the bocage are flower stalks. If the potter wanted to add flowers to the bocage, he could place them on these little stalks/blobs. If you look carefully at bocage figures in your collection, you will notice that some flowers are on stalks, others are not--so stalks were by no means essential. But it was convenient to have them "built in", so to speak, as part of the leaves. Remember, any little blob of clay could serve as a stalk. But having those little blobs integral to the leaves was convenient. And if the potter didn't need to add flowers, he could simply paint the blobs green, along with the rest of the leaf. 

The same molds are normally used for the fronts and backs of the bocages....but flowers are usually not added to the back. That's why we see the flower stalks, but no flowers, at the back.

I have a number of figures with these "leaf mat" bocages in my archive, and collectively I call them the Leaf Mat Group. Some of the figures are relatively small and modest, but others are quite grand. The flowers vary, but I still think the figures were probably all made by the same pot bank. This splendid bull with a "leaf mat" bocage--its coat is striped like a tiger coat--is currently in John Howard's stock.

Is that bocage not splendid? And the flowers on the base are things of beauty.

As gorgeous as these figures are, they are not the ones that come to mind first when I think of the Leaf Mat Group. Most Leaf Mat figures are small animals, and the bocages usually have no flowers. These figures are sweet and appealing, and they are great additions to a collection. That bocage makes quite a statement!  Below is a small stag currently in the stock of Mears and Boyer.

The Leaf Mat Group exhibits bocages and figures that range from the mundane to the magnificent. As always, I am amazed at the breadth of creativity within one small pot bank. Best of all, the figures range in price from too modest to...well, let's just say costly, but worth every penny. Bottom line: there is something for every pocket.

PS: If you have a Leaf Mat Group figure in your collection, please tell me about it.