Last week, I bought the delicious pair of pearlware lions below from David Boyer. They crossed the ocean with lightening speed and have been brightening my days ever since. What is not to like here? These lions can be attributed to the Staffordshire potter Samuel Hall. They are unmarked, but their large star-shaped bocage flowers (with six points) are typical of Hall.
Samuel Hall was not the most meticulous of potters! His Staffordshire figures have a certain sloppiness to their bocages, and the glaze is particularly hard and bright. I find myself able to recognize Hall figures at a distance even if viewed from the rear---to me, they are that distinctive. I know this may sound silly to you, but that is the way my brain works! This self-knowledge helped me understand how experts attribute Old Master paintings on the basis of subtleties such as brush strokes. The nuances of human handiwork leave tell-tale clues as to their origins, if only we look hard enough.
Last summer, David was visiting my home and he happened to have just received the little tiger on the right into his stock. Of course, it made the perfect partner for the tiger on the left, which stood on my shelf. The pair is now happily united, and yes, they too are attributed to Hall.
Last summer, David was visiting my home and he happened to have just received the little tiger on the right into his stock. Of course, it made the perfect partner for the tiger on the left, which stood on my shelf. The pair is now happily united, and yes, they too are attributed to Hall.
David is president of the Staffordshire Figure Association (SFA), and he also happens to pass through Dallas during the year en route to US shows. He and I have used his Dallas layovers to catch up on SFA business, and recently by sheer coincidence, it has enriched my collection. This didn't happen because David is a dealer--in fact, selling to me was the last thing on his mind when we met. An exchange or sale might have happened just as easily if another SFA member and I had met in one or other of our homes to talk about our collections---and indeed, I have acquired lovely figures from SFA members in the past in just this way.
Herein lies the value of joining the SFA: the contacts you make are invaluable, and, over time, they forge friendships. SFA collectors share their knowledge and their collections with each other, and everyone benefits immeasurable. Novice collectors are especially welcome, and if you want to know more, go to the association's web site at staffordshirefigureassociation.com
I must show you all my four Hall felines in a row. The especially large yellow flower centers visible on the lions' bocages occur often on Hall figures--someone in that little pot bank apparently really liked those eye-catching flower centers!.
Herein lies the value of joining the SFA: the contacts you make are invaluable, and, over time, they forge friendships. SFA collectors share their knowledge and their collections with each other, and everyone benefits immeasurable. Novice collectors are especially welcome, and if you want to know more, go to the association's web site at staffordshirefigureassociation.com
I must show you all my four Hall felines in a row. The especially large yellow flower centers visible on the lions' bocages occur often on Hall figures--someone in that little pot bank apparently really liked those eye-catching flower centers!.
In Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840, Vol. 3, I show another little pair of felines, the tiger and leopard pair below, that I also attribute to Hall. Again, as on my lions, the center of each bocage flower is a large often-yellow dot. This lovely pair belongs to yet another SFA member, who kindly allowed me to photograph his figures and learn from them. The benefits of SFA friendship are innumerable.
Below is the little lion in my collection that opened the door to David and I discussing his new-into-stock lions (the pair that I purchased).
David and I both loved this lion's face and find the strange way in which the enamels fired not unattractive. I bought this lion from Andrew Dando, another SFA member, and it is attributed to what I have dubbed the "Daisy" pot bank. (For discussion of this attribution see Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840, Vol. 1).
