This large group is commonly called a Songsters group--but as there is no titled example, you may call it whatever you wish, especially if its yours.
Photo courtesy John Howard.
The same group also occurs with a spill holder in place of a bocage.
In the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
These are the most common variants of this large group. Of these two, I prefer the bocage model. It looks natural. On the other, the spill holder is so very big and prominent that it dwarfs the figures. Clearly, some potter was bothered by this too, because the example below was made with the spill holder set lower.
Formerly in the Margaret Cadman Collection.
Now doesn't that look better? Contemplate for a moment the dozens of mold parts that were needed to assemble one of these groups. I couldn't begin to work it out. Mold parts were costly, so enterprising potters used them in varied ways. That's why we have this figure group with either a bocage or a spill holder. In addition, the molds were used to make a pair of figure groups--one being the couple on the left of our large group, its mate being the couple on the right.
The groups in this photograph should stand the other way round to line up with the arrangement on our large Songsters groups, but the figures are the same. A bocage and a title has been added. Each bears the WALTON mark behind. Clever, are they not?
In the early 1800s, music was the one pastime that united people of all classes because the same music might be played at a country fair or at an aristocratic ball. So it is not surprising that we have very many Staffordshire musicians, as couples resembling these were made by many pot banks. Some are titled. Here we have VILLAGE GROUP and PASTIME. PASTIME was probably paired with a group titled RURAL.
In the early 1800s, music was the one pastime that united people of all classes because the same music might be played at a country fair or at an aristocratic ball. So it is not surprising that we have very many Staffordshire musicians, as couples resembling these were made by many pot banks. Some are titled. Here we have VILLAGE GROUP and PASTIME. PASTIME was probably paired with a group titled RURAL.
No collection is complete with out musicians. When shopping, watch out for restorations. Yes, they are acceptable and expected, but check that a missing instrument has been replaced with the correct one!
