The annual Staffordshire Figure Association meeting is over and, as always, a grand time was had by all. Early figures were well represented in the stock of dealers who had lugged their wares across the country for lucky collectors. Where else do you find so much Staffordshire--and so many collectors--in one spot?
James and Elizabeth Dunn's stand.
From Elinor Penna's stand
From Madelena's stand
From Bill Schaeffer's stand.
Highlight of the event, as always, was renewing friendships and making new ones. Biggest disappointment was the trip to Winterthur, which has recently 'inherited' a collection of Staffordshire figures. Bear in mind that some in our group had traveled thousands of miles and across oceans, wanting to see what Winterthur offered. Our lunch was downgraded to a boxed meal, which we were compelled to eat in the dark while listening to a lecture--and everyone struggled to open those boxes! After a sprint that criss-crossed the house and showed us nothing--at least one member of our group was unable to continue after that--we were taken to the figures themselves. They were disappointingly scant. Still in storage it seems, as Winterthur readies new display space. The entire group was disappointed with the whole Winterthur experience. On the positive side, perhaps this will discourage collectors from bequeathing their collections to museums. Believe me, they all have enough!
Odd though it may seem, I was particularly pleased to see on our travels two reproductions that I had not seen before. They are definitely quite vintage--probably early 20th century--and I am pleased I know such things exist so I can share that knowledge with you when I see such figures on the market. We had two great lectures. Stuart Slavid lectured on early Toby Jugs, and I have a love of these that goes back to my teenage years--in fact, early Tobies turned me into a serious collector. Philip Zimmerman's lecture on the appropriateness of conservation/restoration and the modern techniques used to assess authenticity left me with a lot to think about. A phrase Philip used has stuck in my mind: The Myth of Perfect Survival. It encapsulates my belief that far too many collectors do not ask the right questions of themselves and dealers when buying figures. They would far rather think these fragile treasures have survived the centuries unscathed. And the delusion of Perpetual Survival compels dealers and collectors to restore damage that should best be left alone. A shame, really, but that seems to be the current trend. Wait till all that restoration turns yellow in years to come. I am betting that stripping it off will be back in vogue before I am in my dotage!
Odd though it may seem, I was particularly pleased to see on our travels two reproductions that I had not seen before. They are definitely quite vintage--probably early 20th century--and I am pleased I know such things exist so I can share that knowledge with you when I see such figures on the market. We had two great lectures. Stuart Slavid lectured on early Toby Jugs, and I have a love of these that goes back to my teenage years--in fact, early Tobies turned me into a serious collector. Philip Zimmerman's lecture on the appropriateness of conservation/restoration and the modern techniques used to assess authenticity left me with a lot to think about. A phrase Philip used has stuck in my mind: The Myth of Perfect Survival. It encapsulates my belief that far too many collectors do not ask the right questions of themselves and dealers when buying figures. They would far rather think these fragile treasures have survived the centuries unscathed. And the delusion of Perpetual Survival compels dealers and collectors to restore damage that should best be left alone. A shame, really, but that seems to be the current trend. Wait till all that restoration turns yellow in years to come. I am betting that stripping it off will be back in vogue before I am in my dotage!
