Variations

I have come to know many collectors via the Internet, and this past week I was thrilled to meet one of them face-to-face when I lectured in Houston.  Of course, I couldn't wait to see my collector friend's treasures, which included a lovely figure of a hurdy-gurdy player. Below, this figure is on the left. Alongside on the right is a hurdy-gurdy player, formerly in the stock of Andrew Dando.

All hurdy-gurdy players are after the Ralph Wood figure sometimes titled Flemish Music. Ralph Wood was the first to make this figure, and all subsequent examples seem to have derived from the Ralph Wood molds. I have recorded an example with an Enoch Wood mark, and one with a "WEDGWOOD" mark, as well as an example I attribute to Dudson. Again, all are very like the Ralph Wood model. 

The hurdy-gurdy player in Houston, however, differs  noticably  from anything I have seen before. He has a broader face--quite a friendly, smiling face. The detailing on his clothing is different, indicating that different molds were involved in his manufacture (at least from the waist up). And the sound box on his hurdy-gurdy is well-defined and it is actually cut open.  I recall Andrew Dando telling me he had seen this feature on a hurdy-gurdy player in Pratt colors quite recently, so perhaps there is a relationship. Finding this figure made my day! 

My friend also has this charming figure in his collection. 

The figure is emblematic of Spring. That purple bonnet is super, and the lady has a riveting expression that is very engaging. My fingers immediately recognized the feel of the enamels and glazes. Such enamels and glazes occur on a group of figures that routinely have buff-colored bases. I have dubbed this group the Buff Base Group--yes, I know, hardly an imaginative name!  And yes, I know, my friend's figure of Spring has a black base. But in every other aspect she is attributable to the Buff Base Group. Below, is an example on a buff base, alongside other figures emblematic of the other three seasons.

Note that both Buff Base Group figures of Spring (one on a buff base, one on a black base) have the same flowers on the bases. I am certain that these figures once started life in the same pot bank. I wish we knew the potter's name, but for now we shall just have to lump his work beneath the umbrella title of the "Buff Base Group." BTW, the figures of the Seasons belong to another great collector I have met on the Internet, and we all learn so much when we share in this way.

You might like this small gardener from the Buff Base Group.

I hope this additonal picture helps you get a sense of the enamels and glazes that occur routinely on examples from the Buff Base Group. When I started assembling this Group of figures, I dubbed the Group the "Gray Base Group" because most bases are gray. However, colors are never consistent and some of the bases appear an almost yellow color, so the Gray Base Group quickly became the Buff Base Group. The addition of a black base throws a spanner in the works, but at this point the Buff Base Group will keep its name.

On a last note, my Houston friend could not have been a more charming host. We had a wonderful dinner at his home, and I wish you could have seen the flowers on the table--and in particular the figures among them. Four figures emblematic of the four seasons coupled with four cherubs. What could be more gorgeous?

If you go to Houston, visit Bayou Bend. To my delight, the collection holds two marked Ralph Wood busts, a Ralph Wood figure of Dr. Franklin (impressed "43"), a pair of the boxers Cribb and Molineux, and a host of other delights.