Don't we all love small "Sherratt" figures? For that reason, the lady below has floated around my house for many years, awaiting her mate. In Vol. 1 of Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840, figure 30.31, you can see her with LONDON CRYERS impressed in her base.
The figure in my book was made without a bocage, but my LONDON CRYERS lady has a distinctive "Sherratt" bocage. After ten or so years, my hopes for finding her mate were fading...and then I got a teeny step closer.
The companion male LONDON CRYERS that I tracked down was made without a bocage. Drat! Now I have two figures needing mates! Ah well, the hunt continues.
This little dandies pair (made without bocage) below flew off John Howard's stand at the recent New York Ceramics Fair. I haven't seen this dandies model before. They stand just 6 inches high and ooze charm.
This little dandies pair (made without bocage) below flew off John Howard's stand at the recent New York Ceramics Fair. I haven't seen this dandies model before. They stand just 6 inches high and ooze charm.
In their time, real flesh-and-blood dandies were such pretentious people. Attitude was everything, and dandies oozed an air of superiority. Of course, fashion trickled down to the lower classes, and people who just couldn't emulate that mandatory dandy demeanor still aped dandy tastes. You see the result in figure groups such as this one: a quite homely couple dressed to the nines in an attempt to keep up with fashion.
Again, the New York fair was a dazzling success. Admittedly, weather marred the opening and the first day, but attendance thereafter more than made up for it. When my cab stalled in heavy snow en route to the preview, I walked a good distance on foot (wrong shoes too!), as did other die-hard addicts. John Howard had THE display of figures--hands down the biggest and the best. Other dealers too had figures in stock, so there was plenty to look at and to buy. Figures are now very thin on the ground, so when you see one you like, grab it!
Again, the New York fair was a dazzling success. Admittedly, weather marred the opening and the first day, but attendance thereafter more than made up for it. When my cab stalled in heavy snow en route to the preview, I walked a good distance on foot (wrong shoes too!), as did other die-hard addicts. John Howard had THE display of figures--hands down the biggest and the best. Other dealers too had figures in stock, so there was plenty to look at and to buy. Figures are now very thin on the ground, so when you see one you like, grab it!
