In economics classes, we delve into the various mechanisms by which markets clear....but somehow I don't recall a scenario that fits the early pottery market. Right now, figures are not coming onto the market because sellers perceive prices as low; at the same time, buyers perceive prices as high and aren't buying wildly. To top it, some of the smallest, rarest, most desirable figures are also the cheapest--if you can find them. It makes no sense! Case in point are the small figures below.
These figures, all musicians, are among the 200+ figures of musicians in chapter 26 of volume 1 of my new book. They are classified as Price Group A--the lowest price category in the book. But try to find one! These little gems are rarer than hen's teeth, and they will fly out of a dealer's stock quickly. They are all made by the "Sherratt" pot bank and they all stand on typical "Sherratt" bases.
"Sherratt" used some of these musicians on the platforms of menageries.
"Sherratt" used some of these musicians on the platforms of menageries.
As the lady on the top menagerie platform seems to have lost her tamborine, I show her here on yet another menagerie platform.
Never one to let a good mold go to waste, "Sherratt" also used some of the figures on spill vases.
The little dog is a familiar sight on "Sherratt" groups. Driving through our neighborhood this week, I spied a little black and white dog and thought "that looks just like the "Sherratt" dog. Perhaps I have totally flipped, finally!
The vase below is also "Sherratt." The picture is far from ideal, but it is all I have.
The vase below is also "Sherratt." The picture is far from ideal, but it is all I have.
The little "Sherratt" figure playing the violin is the only one of the musicians at the top of this posting that I have not seen in another context....yet. The man with the accordion seems to have been used by several pot banks, and you can expect to also see him on performing animal troupes made by several other pot banks.
Here he is with his accordion, but I have also seen him without the accordion, simply holding the lead to an animal instead.
If you see one of the little "Sherratt" musicians, I suggest you grab it. And if a menagerie comes your way, look at the little figures on the platform. Very often one of them has been lost, and the restorer's imagination can know no bounds when it comes to replacing it. It helps to know what the figures should look like--and this applies to any restoration. Increasingly, restoration is unavoidable, but it should be correctly done. And, of course, perfection always carries a premium.
