Early Staffordshire pearlware and creamware pottery figures

Teeny people

3/25/2014

I have long coveted the teeny cottage group above. Somewhere in the bowels of this blog, there must be something that I wrote about it years ago because about 6 years ago, I underbid it at auction. I didn't underbid it modestly. Rather, I underbid it to a silly level. Later, I was shocked to discover it had been bought by Jonathan Horne and it appeared in his very next London exhibition. I have no idea what the price tag was at that point, but, idiot that I am, I assumed that at its now-lofty price, it would sit unsold for a good while. Wrong again! It immediately sold.

Fast forward to this year, and this very figure group again came to auction. This time, I was able to get it for less than half of my previous bid. Has the pottery market slumped? Not so at all. I tell you all these details to ram home the point that value is a function of who is shopping at a particular moment in time. Another day and at another venue, I might have been outbid yet again.

Below are two tiny groups that I believe emanated from the same pot bank as the little group I just purchased.

I have not found any other figures or groups that link to the three examples shown here, but I live in hope! If you have something in your collection that can add to the story, please email me.

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Lost Sheep and Lost Coin

3/11/2014

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Most of us are familiar with figures portraying the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. These New Testament parables of redemption must have been popular in the Potteries because quite a few pot banks fashioned them in figural form.

From the stock of John Howard.

This figure portrays the parable of the lost sheep. It was made without a bocage, although the same pot bank made this figure both with and without bocage. You can understand why even those of no religious persuasion are drawn to this appealing figure.

From the stock of Aurea Carter.

This figure portrays the parable of the lost coin and it too was made without a bocage, but I have yet to see this particular model of the lost coin with a bocage.

In Vol. 2 of my new book, due out later this year, you will be able to see a plethora of lost sheep and lost coin figures. Some pot banks made them to pair, while others seem to have made only one or other model.

The figure group below is, to the best of my knowledge, unique. It has both the lost sheep and the lost coin on one base.

Is this not an amazing and lovely object? A generous collector shared this photo just in time for me to include it in Volume 2. It quickly brought to mind another equally rare group, seen below.

This group shows two figures portraying old age on a single base. Figures of old age are all too common. Again, several potters made them, and, in all cases but this, the figures are on separate bases.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and you can clearly see why I believe these two groups emanated from the same pot bank. Amidst the hum-drum, is it not refreshing to see one pot bank's innovative approach?

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New on the market

3/4/2014

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I have bought some very fine small figures from John Howard over the years, but John's figures tend to be large rather than small. I suspect he has trouble finding small figures that meet his exacting standards. But added to his site this week is the small figure below, and it oozes refined charm.

Courtesy John Howard

I have recorded just one other example of this very figure and it was painted almost identically. The color palette is suggestive of a circa 1790 date, but there is no basis for attributing the figure to any pot bank. I suspect a mate was made, but I have yet to find her. The only other similarly syled figure in my archive is the boy with goose below.

Courtesy Elinor Penna

This figure is quite a bit taller (7 inches as opposed to 5 inches) and it is not as refined. Again, I have no idea as to who made it and I have yet to find a mate.

The Scuffle/Contest group also recently added to John's site is interesting in that it is unmarked. From the look of the group, you might have expected a WALTON mark on the reverse.

Courtesy John Howard

The example alongside is marked WALTON. Note that both groups have figures and bases of the same form.

Did Walton make both this group and John's group? To answer that would require a wild guess. Truly, there is no way of knowing, but I suspect that Walton did not make John's group. Firstly, I have now seen two of these unmarked Walton-type Scuffle/Contest groups, and neither one shouted Walton at me. The enamels are just a tad different. Also, the WALTON mark is actually integral to the base, so I would expect to see it on all versions that emanated from the Walton pot bank.

Bottom line is that the mark is a whole lot less important than the quality and condition of the figure group because Scuffle/Contest groups are notoriously difficult to procure in good condition.

Also fresh in cyberspace this week is this figure of St. Peter, newly added to Aurea Carter's stock.

This is a Ralph Wood figure, circa 1790. Aurea notes that she has another in stock impressed 119. I haven't seen a Ralph Wood St. Peter being offered for sale for a good while, so if this is your thing, this may be the moment. I especially like the rather girly clothing St. Peter is wearing here. More commonly, the coat is a solid color.

After the long cold-winter and a dearth of figures, the frogs in my garden are heralding spring and new figures are coming onto the market. So rattle your piggy banks and take your pick, while the selection lasts!

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