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Spanish Stuff

4/24/2012

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With Spain and its financial meltdown so much in the news, the topic this week has a Spanish flavor. I was so happy to find this image in my archive recently, saved from Andrew Dando's 2007 Exhibition.
Picture
The figure, titled A Galego, is attributable to Ralph Wood. We know this because of its appearance (titling, painting, the way the base is formed from beneath) and because the figure also occurs decorated in colored glazes with the Ralph Wood mark. It can also occur impressed with the Ralph Wood number "67", again in colored glazes only. I have yet to see that number impressed on an enamel-painted version of this figure. In fact, this is the only example of this figure that I have ever found in enamels. If you own one like it, please let me hear from you.

I had always thought of this figure as 'the water carrier' but what do I know?  The title tells me she is A Galego. This, I think, is a Galician, a person from the north-west corner of Spain. Ralph Wood made several figures on the Spanish theme. I wish I knew the design sources. The Spanish Dancer pair below is one of my favorites. This pair is impressed "71" and "73"on the back. 
The Spanish Shepherd below is yet another. This example is impressed "69" on the back. The pairing of the Spanish Shepherd and the Galego/water carrier would seem, to me at least, to be appropriate. I do think that lots of our figures were sold singly but the potters frequently made companion subjects, so the buyer could have a pair if he/she wished.   
Andrew Dando's archive revealed a fascinating old photograph (and yes, old photographs will be included in my book because a poor image beats no image!)  Seen below, it  shows our Galego/water carrier titled Mate. She is in the company of a Gasconian--not the Spanish Shepherd that I thought might be her companion.  This time, the figures are definitely attributable to Dudson, and both seem to come from Ralph Wood molds. 

FYI, Gascony sits just above Galicia but below France, so the Gasconian is the Gallego's next door neighbor, so to speak. Dudson rightly decided this was all a bit too much, so Dudson figures are simply titled Gasconian and Mate.     
Below is the Ralph Wood Gasconian, impressed "66" or "99", depending how you look at things. (The owners of this lovely figure are in the southern hemisphere....but that doesn't invert the number!)  

Picture
Why the similarity between the Dudson figures and the Ralph Wood figures? Ralph Wood's pot bank continued operating until 1801, and Dudson started operating at about the same time. It is quite possible that some of the Ralph Wood molds passed into Dudson hands. Certainly, the Dudson Gasconian and Mate are from Ralph Wood molds, with the addition of those glorious big cloaks that leave me lost for words.  Envy...I turn green as I type. Oh, for a pair of these figures.

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    Myrna Schkolne, antique Staffordshire pottery, expert
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