In the last century, several gentlemen collectors shared their collections within the pages of volumes that I still treasure today. As I turn the yellowed pages of those old books and peer at each faded black and white photo, I wish I had known these extraordinary men---but, above all, I wish they had shared the behind-the-scenes stories of how they built their amazing collections.
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As we all know, a large part of collecting pleasure is the thrill of the chase, that often-bumpy journey along the path to ownership. For we collectors, each long-sought-after object ultimately is both a beautiful object and a memory capsule of sorts. Yet when we die, our collections die too; they become mere assemblages of objects seeking new homes. One day, my much-loved ceramic children will find new resting places. To share their tales with their future owners, I have written my collecting memoir. It narrates my journey through the collecting world--how I bought each item, where I found it, why I wanted it. It is copiously illustrated with beautiful photographs of the ceramic figures, plaques, and busts that are its stars.

Good news: the book is jam-packed with the large pictures we collectors want and it is available as a FREE download on this site. Go to the "Books" tab in the menu bar at the top of this page, where you will find links for downloading Obsession.

Staffordshire pottery busts of the Rev. John Wesley.... do I  hear you yawn? Surely there are more Staffordshire pottery busts of this Evangelical preacher than there are of any other individual, and most hardly set the collector's heart a-flutter. But the story behind the Wesley busts is rather interesting, so bear with me for a little while.

In 1781, Enoch Wood, just 22 years old, modeled a bust of the Rev. John Wesley, then 78. Wesley sat for Wood five times, and he was well pleased with the likeness the young modeler rendered. From the start, Enoch Wood's model was widely acclaimed as the most realistic resemblance of Wesley ever produced. Wood placed a plaque behind each pottery version of the bust. The plaque on the example below reads "ThE REVD. JOHN WESLEY M.A. AGED 81."
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As Wesley was 81 years old in 1784-85, we know the bust was made in that narrow period.  But what was Enoch Wood to do as Wesley aged? The answer seemed simple: adjust the age on the medallion. On the fabulous bust below, Wesley's age is given as 88.

Of course, mistakes happened along the way. Although Wesley died at the age of 87, more than one example of this bust notes his age as 88. Worse still, at least one instance of age 90 is documented! 

Wesley died in 1791, and sometime in the next few years Enoch Wood took another look at his bust. He was rightly pleased with the likeness, but two things bothered him:

• The gown looked flat because it had been modeled from the rather rumpled everyday gown that Wesley wore on his travels, and the gown's lack of artistry did not reflect the wearer's status.
• When Wesley sat for the bust, he had suggested that Enoch Wood  place a plaque on the reverse showing a very young John Wesley being saved from his father's burning house, along with the text  "Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" 

In the 1790s, Wood still had no sketch of the burning house to use as a design source, but he wanted to at least elaborate on the text at the back of the bust and to improve the gown. So he reworked his model, keeping the face the same but changing the drapery and adding a medallion elaborating on the clergyman's life.

As you see the result is larger (approximately 12.5" rather than 11") and suitably impressive--but to my eye it lacks the humility and humanity that the original model oozed.

The back of the remodeled bust is enclosed and the inset medallion reads  "THE REV.D JOHN WESLEY M.A., DIED MAR 2, 1791, AGED 88. ENOCH WOOD SCULP., BURSLEM."  

One bothersome thing: Wesley was born in June 1703 and died in March 1791, so by my reckoning he was 87, not 88, at the time of his death.

Enoch Wood continued producing this model for many more decades. And as the years marched on and the figure potting industry expanded, other potters emulated the Wood bust because it  had set the "look."  To my eye, the standard seemed to go down hill, and you really, really have to be a Wesley enthusiast to find much merit in some of the later busts.  

This is the "Sherratt" pot bank's Wesley bust---nice enough but hardly "Sherratt's" finest piece of work.​

John Dale made the bust below in the 1820s, and it is far cry from the splendor of the early Wood busts. It is impressed behind "THE REV JOHN WESLEY M.A. BORN AT EPWORTH JUNE 17TH 1703 DIED MAR 1791 AGED 88" and "I. DALE BURSLEM " (Again,  the age is incorrect!)  Don't get me wrong: I am a great fan of Dale figures...but here he was out of his depth.

One of my many personal imperfections is my almost total inability to recognize a face. This is rather embarrassing at times. Yes, I am that idiot who will be introduced to you three times in the same day. On the other hand, if you had bocage leaves attached to you, I would remember you immediately! Strangely,  when it comes to figures, my recall is remarkably good.  One little figure group that I remember crossing my path several times in recent years is that below.

Hindsight is always 20:20, and, as I look at this group today, I ask myself whether the awkward positioning of the bocage should have raised a red flag. It is perched rather awkwardly, is it not?

Most importantly, the bocage on this group is an old bocage that, like the group, was made circa 1825. The problem is that the bocage was made by one pot bank (the Patriotic Group pot bank)  and the rest of the group was made by another (the Box Title Group pot bank). The two were united courtesy of a modern restorer. This is what the group should look like.  Much more balanced, don't you think?

I first spotted the problem group in the stock of a UK dealer. I pointed out my concerns. Sure enough, he had discerned a join where the bocage had been professionally attached, but he had assumed that the correct bocage had snapped off and had been put back into place. When he realized that this was not so, he disposed of the group at auction. Ah, if only all dealers were as selective, so insistent on only selling what they know to be right.

Auctions are not for the unwary. They are sometimes said to be the places dealers send their mistakes, but they are also the places that dealers make mistakes. Sure enough, another dealer bought the mismatched group, and I stumbled across it yet again at a show in the US. Again, I pointed out the issue. This time the dealer's response was not quite as heart warming. "Well," he said, "if someone asks me, I will say that the bocage has been reattached." Hmm....THE bocage or A bocage??? 

The mismatched group surfaced again in a US collection shared on FaceBook recently. Mismatched figures are really not that common, but they are common enough that you should buy your figures from a dealer who can help you avoid this trap. The first one I encountered was a Walton figure of an apostle, with a transplanted Sherratt bocage.  Similarly, you can see a "Sherratt" bocage on a cow of the type that "Sherratt" never made. On the left is the mismatched bovine; on the right is a correct example.

In the case of the elephant, the first red flag might be the very obvious difference between the flowers on the base and those on the bocage--but it is conceivable that flowers differ. Remember though that elephants of this sort all seem to have been made by Enoch Wood, while the bocage here is a form commonly used by Ralph Salt and other potters. Looking carefully at the back, you can see the fault line where the bocage has been attached--but the wrong bocage.

The elephant should correctly look more like one of these.

Truth be told, the elephant in the middle too has a transplanted bocage, but it is an  Enoch Wood bocage. The restoration was done ethically and responsibly.On a good note, the elephant with the incorrect transplanted bocage sold honestly  to a fully informed buyer, but transparency is the exception rather than the rule in these cases. That doesn't mean that the trade is necessarily dishonest. Rather, it means that dealers don't always know. 

I am always reluctant to let a reattached bocage influence my decision on attribution. Case in point is the cottage below.

The cottage below provided an important clue in unravelling the vexing cottage riddle. Importantly, it has  a diminutive "turquoise bocage" of the type that only "Sherratt" used, and indeed the base is in that turquoise palette "Sherratt" liked. 

Recently, my adult son expressed his frustration with a colleague who had asked his advice but had failed to follow his recommendation. He thought this damaged their relationship and asked if I had felt the same way in similar situations. I had to laugh! "Steven," I replied, "try being a parent! My kids don't listen to me...yet I am still advising."  I added that I routinely give collectors guidance, but always with the caveat that my free opinion is only worth its price.

My feelings are not dented if collectors ignore my opinions. After all, why should my recommendation be worth anything?I usually tell them that I respect their right to make their own decisions, and whatever they decide we stay friends. But today,  I impart a pearl of wisdom that collectors ignore at immense peril: 

IF YOU FAIL TO ASK ABOUT CONDITION WHEN PURCHASING A FIGURE, YOU MAY BE A SUCKER, A FOOL JUST BEGGING TO BE PARTED FROM YOUR MONEY.

Don't get me wrong: I am not telling you to only buy perfect figures. I accept that many very desirable figures have some restoration or repair. On the other hand, some figures have extensive restoration or repair. As you fall in love with a figure, as your heart beats a little faster and you are overwhelmed with that warm glow of excitement, the condition may not matter to you at all. But believe me, if you ever want to sell that figure, condition will matter a lot. So when you purchase a figure, insist that the dealer note any restoration on the receipt. That way, you know what you have. There can be no confusion, no he-said or he-didn't- say.

Does this sound harsh? I mean it to be! Again and again, dealers tell me (sometimes in amazement, sometimes with a smirk) that collectors routinely buy without a single enquiry about condition. I am stunned! These "collectors" are the same individuals who caress and squeeze every piece of fruit in the supermarket before deciding on the perfect one....yet when it comes to a costly Staffordshire figure, they just point at it (or click the mouse) and buy. 

This begs the question: what kind of collection are you assembling if you care not about the integrity of the objects in it? If you just want pretty things, you can find plenty at a fraction of the price of an early Staffordshire figure. Is it that you prefer owning something old? I understand....but a heavily restored figure can be largely new!

Dear Collector, I believe a nice early Staffordshire figure warrants a fine price. On the other hand. a heavily restored example of that same figure is worth a whole lot less...but if we collectors fail to ask, what stops the trade pricing that heavily restored figure as if it were perfect?
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If it is all about eye-candy for you and you don't care, go ahead. But when you want to sell your very restored figure some day, don't be surprised if you have great difficulty doing so.  

Two examples make my point: Recently, I viewed a private collection, which held the object below, bought years ago from a now-retired dealer with whom the collector had a long-standing and trusting relationship. The price ticket beneath indicated that it had changed hands for a substantial price. 

I told the collector that, sadly, his treasure was nigh valueless because it was missing critical components. Once upon a time, it looked like this.

The collector could not recall being told about any loss or damage to the object at the time he bought it. In truth, I am sure he didn't ask! He simply bought with misplaced trust. But, as Ronald Reagan cautioned, "Trust but verify."

My second example is this sweet little church that appeared on eBay a few months ago. It was honestly described as missing critical components, as you see in the picture below.

Because of its condition, there was no interest. It is the only known example and I was tormented at the thought of it being tossed. I just couldn't help myself, so I bid GBP45, against no competing bids.
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The church is a petite little things, just 5" to the top of the steeple. The buidling itself was intact, and there never had been bocage leaves on those trees, but all the figures in the foreground were missing. Clearly, the back figure on the right had been a man because his lower trouser legs remained. Right next to him were two smaller feet that had to have belonged to a woman.  The figure on the far left had broken away entirely, leaving an oval patch that corresponds to the way a vicar’s coat might fall, so I deduced that this group was once a christening. This made the fourth missing figure (one largish foot remained) the clerk.

I added the group to my Wreck Collection, and I could have happily lived with it as it was--in fact, I preferred living with it as it was! But once it became mine, I felt responsible for its future...and I was haunted by the certainty of it being discarded at the end of my days. Restoring it, to my mind, added absolutely no value, but unrestored it would almost certainly be tossed. I couldn’t justify costly professional restoration, so I decided to have a shot at replacing the missing figures myself. The task was way above my very amateur pay grade. How was I to make the figures? Which figures should I try to copy? All except one christening group recorded to date are from the “Sherratt” pot bank, and the figures on it are much too large for this group. Also, “Sherratt” christenings have two women (the godmothers) rather than a man and woman, who I believed had stood to the right of the church originally.
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The tiniest figures in our collection are the man and woman shown below. I made models from these figures in clay and tooled them to remove his hat (which in this case is lying on the ground) and her dog (which I replaced with a small handbag). I fired them in a little kiln, and, as expected, the clay shrank, making the figures about ten percent smaller than the originals. Next, I fitted them onto the base so as not to damage any original material. In other words, it would have been easier to remove the feet and legs remaining on the base to position my figures, but instead I removed the feet and legs from my figures and fitted them to the original body parts. The result looked reasonable, so I continued.

The Staffordshire Figure Association conference in Dallas last month was a resounding success, and viewing stunning private collections of early figures inspired many purchases at the sale that wrapped up events. As I watched collectors swoop and grab, I concluded that I still don't understand the collecting mentality at all. Are some people buying by the pound or by the inch? Do rarity, superb quality, and fine condition weigh into the equation at all? As I continue to mull the issues, I recall some of the smaller collections I have seen, collections that are mind-blowingly impressive, not because of their size or value but because of their focus.

Recently, a collector sent me a photograph of shelves housing his and his wife's treasures. The shelves, beautifully painted in an dusky turquoise shade, were stacked with interesting books. Guarding them were figures, arranged in rows in front of the books. Among them were very many figure of Charlotte at the Tomb of Werther, lined up alongside each other. The result was stunning.

Figures of Charlotte at the Tomb of Werther are among the most attractive of the early classical figures, all of which, sadly have lost favor with collectors who want the cute and colorful (even when very restored) rather than the serenely beautiful (even when very gorgeous). Charlotte at the Tomb figures are consistently rather fabulous. Each oozes the tragedy it portrays. Assembled together, these hauntingly beautiful artifacts are an interesting ceramics study. Their variations and their similarities  point to who might have made them and when.

The photograph so kindly shared remains seared on my brain. It reflects the collectors' discriminating taste and artistic inquisitiveness. Theirs is not a mindless collection assembled as a capricious fancy. It is not governed by whim. Instead, it was assembled with thought and appreciation.

If you were to assemble a collection of one figure form, what would it be? My choice would be Flemish Music figures. They are tranquilly beautiful, and small variations abound that pique my curiosity. When found in pairs, the figures gaze  into each others' eyes with love that transcends time.

​​Flemish Music figures can be traced back to Ralph Wood, who made the earliest of these figures, best we know. This pair is impressed "Ra. Wood Burslem" beneath.

Ralph Wood was active from 1782-1795.  During that period, he impressed numbers on some figures, and the numbers 131 and 132 were assigned to Flemish musicians. The pair below is impressed "132" in that way. Because the range of Ralph Wood numbers was chronologic, Flemish musicians might have been introduced later in the Ralph Wood era, around 1790.

Flemish musicians  must have been a hit in their time because other potters soon mimicked them in their pursuit of profit. Ralph Wedgwood copied these figures (see www.earlystaffordshirefigures.com/26-music.html), as did Ralph Wood's cousin Enoch Wood, who I suspect made the pair below.

And then there was the creative potter who decided to place his Flemish musicians on plinths. How lovely is this? Compared to the original Ralph Wood models, the lady's face and hat seem to have been reworked.

The prize for creativity goes to the pair below, which can be attributed to the Dudson pot bank. Again there may be a little  reworking, I think, of the hat, and the lady holds her lute in a peculiar manner, to say the least. 

The story does not end here, and, as with any good tale, there are twists and turns along the way. Flemish musicians also occur decorated under the glaze.

But the story must eventually end, and I think that by the 1820s Flemish musicians had seen their day. Notable no Flemish musician has a bocage, and for that reason I surmise that by the 1820s the model was obsolete. 

The variations in Flemish Music figures are numerous, and you can see other examples of these figures  in Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840 Vol. 1 and on earlystaffordshirefigures.com, the site that  supplements the book. This blog posting has merely skimmed the surface when it comes to Flemish Music figures, but it reinforces how much can be discovered by drilling down into one particular subject. Focusing in this way is so very rewarding, and along the way you can build a collection that is unique, aesthetically pleasing, and mentally satisfying. What more could a true collector want?

Members of the Staffordshire Figure Association are counting the days to this year's conference in Dallas, Texas, this week. Dallas is an epicenter for antique Staffordshire pottery. It is home to more early figures than any other spot on earth, and, to top it all, the collections are located within a ten minute radius of each other. Dallas boasts 13 menageries, more than can be found in the rest of America or all England, so members are in for a real treat. Among the many other rarities will be four Red Barns standing together on one shelf, and as I have their pictures in my archive, I thought we should sneak a peep.

The Red Barn murder--so called because the victim was buried beneath the floor of the Red Barn-- is an eternally perplexing "who dunnit." In 1828, William Corder was tried and hanged for murdering Maria Marten, but fascination with his crime did not die on the gallows with him. The murder, replete with unanswered questions and salacious details, was very much in the news in its day, and Staffordshire models of the Red Barn were potted as chilling souvenirs of Corder's deed. Examples are uncommon, supporting my belief that most early nineteenth century figures were made for respectable middle-class households in which the Red Barn murder was a distasteful subject.

Interest in the Red Barn murder persists to this day, and Staffordshire Red Barns are among the most desirable of early pottery figures. All were made around 1828. The most well-known model was made by the "Sherratt" pot bank, and one is below.

Although a number of "Sherratt" Red Barns are recorded, finding one in pleasing condition is challenging. All too often the bocage has been lost, or, worse yet, poorly restored. Add to that, the small figures frequently have been knocked off the base and replaced. The example you see above, housed in Dallas, is original, but for a restoration to Corder's hands--yes, the very hands said to have committed the dastardly deed. It is quite lovely, and I hope no future owner is ever tempted to restore the little bit of missing bocage.

The Red Barn below seems to have come from the very same molds, yet it was made by a quite different pot bank. This model can be attributed to the "Patriotic Group" pot bank, and, unlike the "Sherratt" barn, it was made without figures of Corder and Marten. 

I have recorded four examples of this Red Barn. Notice that this one is actually titled THE RAD BARN. The other three Patriotic Group barns read RED BARN. On one, the "E" looks halfway between an "A" and an "E," as if the potter couldn't quite decide and wanted to hedge his bets. 

The third Red Barn is made from different molds than were used for the previous two Red Barn models. It is known from only three examples. Two of these are in Dallas collections that the Staffordshire Figure Association will visit. 

Notice that the name of the site of the terrible crime, the hamlet of Polstead, is here spelled POULSTO (presumably intended to be "Poulston.") On the other examples from this pot bank it is either "Polstead" or "Polestead." This reminds us that in those times literacy rates were low, and, as the dictionary had not yet been created, spellings generally were rather ill defined!

And last but certainly not least is the tiniest of Red Barns, known from only this example. This little gem was made by the "Sherratt" pot bank. It really is small, with a foot print around the size of a small iPhone. Small does not mean inexpensive when it comes to rarities, and I tease the owner that on a square foot basis this is the most expensive piece of English property ever. 

I have been to Polstead, and Maria Marten's home still stands, as does the home of William Corder. But as for the Red Barn itself, it was carried off piecemeal within a short time of the murder by souvenir seekers wanting a little piece of the action. The curious came from as far afield as France to claim a chunk of timber. Fortunately, crude engravings show us what the barn looked like in its last days, and, as you see, Staffordshire models resemble it closely. 

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I doubt the Staffordshire Figure Association can ever again visit as many rare figures in one location, but each conference presents new opportunities to feast the eyes, feed the mind, and make new friends. If you are interested in joining, visit the SFA site at staffordshirefigureassociation.com.

I suspect that every collector of antique Staffordshire pottery figures has at least one Staffordshire pottery plaque adorning a wall. Plaques, like figures, range from the mundane to the extraordinary. But when superb, a plaque packs enormous punch, especially as light plays beautifully on its flat surface. 

The subjects portrayed in plaques relate closely to those found in figural form. Don't you love this lady in her chariot? Note the very high relief on this plaque, but I fear a photo just does not capture it fully.

The woman reclining languidly in her lion drawn-chariot is Cybele. Don't let the regal bearing of this earth mother fool you: this lady is associated with wild music, wine, and a disorderly, ecstatic following. She is also associated with wild animals, especially lions (hence her lion-drawn chariot) and city walls (hence the mural crown atop her head.)  As a figure, she is known only within chariots, like the one below.

This chariot, one of only two known examples, is attributed to John Dale and has been discussed previously on this blog. Yes, I realize the beasts pulling the chariot are tigers rather than lions, but that detail would not have been particularly significant to the potters. 

I am drawn to this quirky plaque that sold recently in the UK.

The naked male figures blowing their horns flank Cybele (I think, because of the mural crown of sorts atop her head), who is holding a cornucopia and is accompanied by two lions. The inscription on the front of the plaque reads “The silver trumpet warbles forth In most melodious strains.” These words are in a hymn that I can only find published in Barton’s Hymns of 1797. An incised inscription to the verso reads, “If thou a wakes the Lyons with thy horns the three in Pieces shall be torn.” The origin of this inscription eludes me. If you know, please tell me.

The plaque recalls the figures below, warbling forth on their yellow trumpets. They represent the Archangel Gabriel, the biblical messenger. The left figure can be attributed to "Sherratt," the right figure  cannot.

Similar figures occur without the wording. Perhaps they represent Archangel Gabriel, or perhaps just a cherub.

Again, the left figure is attributed to "Sherratt." While I suspect "Sherratt" made the right figure too, I can't be certain. The figures fall a little flat without the wording on them. It adds so much drama, doesn't it?

I have long admired plaques made in Scotland to commemorate the visit of King George IV in August 1822. This was Scotland's first visit by a reigning monarch since 1650, and the potters at Portobello made colorful plaques to mark the historic occasion. The plaque below is impressed "WELCOME KING GEORGE" in the dark green area beneath the king. The colors are typical of the Scottish potteries, and the thistles painted into the floral design are the Scottish national flower. The result could hardly be more Scottish. I suspect that in 1822 plenty of plaques like this were made, and over the years I have encountered a few. They vary enormously in their attractiveness and their condition, and a good example is, like everything else that is of any merit, difficult to find.

The man who caused all the excitement in Scotland in 1822 was king of all of Britain, yet figures of him are scarcer than hen's teeth. This little figure of King George IV is one of only two or perhaps three known examples.

Why so few figures of such an important figure in history? Well, King George was reviled by the population for reasons ranging from his debauched lifestyle to his treatment of his wife. On the day after his funeral in 1830, the Times editorialized with brutal frankness, “There never was an individual less regretted by his fellow-creatures than this deceased king.” Well, nobody is perfect! We are all a strange mélangé of good and bad. For all his faults, King George had impeccable taste, and those who have visited the stunning Royal Pavilion he built in Brighton may prefer to remember him in that way.

I have just launched a new site as a means of sharing my archive with you. It is at earlystaffordshirefigures.com.

I seem to be unable to read my own writing, so I am sure you will find errors aplenty. Please tell me. All corrections will be appreciated, as will any material that I can add to the site.

In my June blog article, I said that the Wedgwood & Co. Farnese Flora featured and shown again above is the only figure I know of with the Wedgwood & Co. mark. Oops! In Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840, Volume 4, I show a large group of Eros tussling with Anteros marked in the same way. If only I could remember everything I write! At any event, the group, shown below is marked Wedgwood & Co.---AND it is on the same base as Farnese Flora. ​

Also on that same base and bearing the Wedgwood & Co. mark is this large Fortitude.

These are the only figures I have recorded with the Wedgwood & Co. mark, rather than the usual Wedgwood mark. All three stand on the same base, and this base is not seen on figures merely marked Wedgwood. 

In the past weeks, a number of interesting early Staffordshire pottery figures have crossed my path. Firstly, I was beyond excited to see the little enamel-painted figure of a shepherdess below. She clearly is a Ralph Wood figure, but I had not seen one like her hitherto.

​The same figure was also made decorated with colored glazes, as you see in the little shepherdess alongside. Ralph Wood used both techniques because in his time enamels were surpassing colored glazes in popularity.

​Our shepherdess model seems to be an adaptation of this Ralph Wood figure impressed "87" that you see alongside. Ralph Wood was impressively skilled at adapting his models, I have learned. 

Have you noticed that the enamel-painted shepherdess is titled Hay Maker?--but a hay maker she is not! In any event, Ralph Wood already had two versions of the hay maker model, as shown in these two figures. The two hay makers are essentially the same, but their heads differ. Go figure!

The second interesting thing that crossed my path recently was this stunning pair of figures of Elijah and the Widow. Don't yawn, please. I know figures of Elijah and the Widow are rather commonplace and can be dreary, and, for that reason, I have never owned a pair. But I did succumb and buy this pair, which I attribute to Lakin & Poole (active 1791-1796).

This pair was ridiculously cheap, and, far from rejoicing at my bargain, I was saddened to think that a fine pair of figures well over two centuries old and in very good condition, commanded this little respect. Sadly, they are not "cute," and the cuteness factor cannot be underestimated in our shallow market. 

I have found the odd lone widow of this form before, but one Elijah--also Frank Falkner in his "Wood Family of Burslem" shows a color glazed Elijah from these molds and attributes it to Ralph Wood. Falkner may well be right. Ralph Wood may have modeled these figures. The figures themselves do not have the typical Lakin & Poole facial features, so perhaps the pot bank acquired the molds from an outside source. 

Thirdly, I noticed a truly yummy figure of Autum that appears to be Lakin & Poole (or, at any rate, is definitely of late eighteenth-century manufacture), and it set my mind wandering on the topic of figures of Seasons.

Figures of the Seasons in this style were made from the eighteenth century, as evidenced by a pair with the mark of P&F Warburton in The Potteries Museum. Because  Enoch Wood, in particular, seems to have flooded the market with them, we tend to think of Seasons of this form as being boring, but think again. Very many makers made them, and special examples do occur.

I think these two figures are especially attractive examples, and I would enjoy them in my collection.

Similarly, this lone "Sherratt" figure of Spring is to die for. As she is the only recorded "Sherratt" Season, the odds of making a set are remote, but would you rather have a gorgeous single figure or a ho-hum set?

I guess the message for today is that  Staffordshire figures never fail to surprise. Think Elijah and the Widow or a lone season are boring? Think again! Do you think you know what the Ralph Wood hay maker looks like? Well, sometimes she looks remarkably different, as we have seen in this posting. It is the thrill of discovering the unexpected  that makes collecting a endlessly rewarding.