The year 2018 has, so far, been rather dull in that the supply of figures coming to auction has almost dried up. Disappointingly, I have made no major discoveries of unrecorded early Staffordshire pottery figures. No new bullbaitings, menageries, or large bocage groups of any sort---but the smaller figures continue to reward my aggressive sleuthing. Figures on the subject of bird nesting have been remarkably satisfying, so let's look a few of these discoveries.
To start, most of us are familiar with the sweet bird nesting figures made by Ralph Salt. Perhaps we remember them for no other reason than we have drooled over them in print, because these picture-pretty figures are very hard to find today.
To start, most of us are familiar with the sweet bird nesting figures made by Ralph Salt. Perhaps we remember them for no other reason than we have drooled over them in print, because these picture-pretty figures are very hard to find today.
Impressed SALT on the reverse.
Impressed HALL on the reverse. The pair above is impressed with the maker's mark SALT on the reverse. Other potters too used these molds to make identical or closely similar figures. For example, the boy alongside is marked HALL.
About two years ago, I was pleased to discover the little bird nester girl below on the site of the late Aurea Carter. Clearly the figure is from the same molds as the SALT girl, above.
 Unmarked but attributed to Blue Group pot bank. Images courtesy of Aurea Carter. |  Blue Group bocages are sometimes unpainted on the reverse. |
Although this little figure is unmarked, it displays several distinctive features that enable attribution to the pot bank I have dubbed the Blue Group (See Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840, volume 1). Where there is a single figure, there was usually once a pair, and just this past month a Blue Group pair appeared at auction.
Unmarked pair attributed to the Blue Group pot bank. The bocages may or may not be painted on the reverse. Images courtesy Aldridges of Bath.
The "Sherratt" pot bank is a favorite among collectors who prize its stunning table groups--ale benches, weddings, christenings, bullbaitings, and, of course, menageries, to name a few. But small "Sherratt" figures are just as sweet, and they sell for a teeny fraction of the price because they are largely overlooked. "Sherratt" too made figures on the bird nesting theme, and I had recorded the two below in my publications.
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About a year or so ago, I came across the little "Sherratt" group below. Although damaged, I strongly suspect that it too is a bird nesting group and that the figures once held a bird and a nest.
My small discoveries are immensely rewarding. Understanding their connections to other figures helps me make sense out ot the plethora of figures that were once made and instills a little intellectual rigor into our collecting field. Best of all, these small figures can usually be found for a pittance. They have not had the exposure that glitzier groups have had, but, to my mind, a small unrecorded figure is of more interest and value than yet another of the larger, costlier figures collectors covet.
The smallest variations in figures can be quite perplexing. In Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840, volume 3, I recorded seven variations of this boy with a bird's nest in his hat. I have recorded far more than the seven figures shown in print....and in each case the hat is held in the left hand.
Image courtesy Andrew Dando.
Then, the figure below crossed my path, with the hat in the right hand. Should I infer that the figures were made to pair--two boys, one with the hat in the left hand, the other with the hat in the right hand? Isn't it more likely that the companion figure is a girl...but where is she? I have yet to identify a likely companion.
Image courtesy Reeman Dansie.
Image courtesy Morabool Antiques. Of course, if we had all the answers, collecting would not be fun. Among my many unresolved bird nesting issues, is this small figure of a boy, his bocage lost.
As I discover figures that contribute to our published collecting knowledge, I add them to earlystaffordshirefigures.com. Included on that site are figures decorated with colored glazes and those decorated with colored glazes, like the pairs below. If you have anything you think should be added, please share it with me at [email protected].
 Image courtesy Tennants. |  |
