This wonderful trio of characters from the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, which was adapted into the operetta achy Chin Chow and which was first performed at His Majesty’s Theatre, London in 1916 and proved a huge success running for more than 2000 performances.

With over thirteen different models by Harry Tittensor, all quite different in size, this series offers something for every collector – rarity, unique colourways and a handful of prototypes that never entered production. Those with HN numbers began appearing from 1920 onwards but their limited production had ceased by 1936, by which time these early models were simply made to order.

The three wonderful examples illustrated above of models from the series in unusual colourways are coming up at Lion and Unicorn Auctions 24 August 2025! 

Inspired by the colourful illustrations of Edmund Dulac. Dulac was born in Toulouse, France. His artistic ability showed itself early on and drawings exist from his early teens. He won the 1901 and 1903 Grand Prix for his paintings submitted to annual competitions whilst at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. A scholarship took him to Paris and the Academie Julien where he stayed for three weeks. That same year (1904) he left for London and the start of a meteoric career. Dulac’s Picture Book for the French Red Cross (1915) contains several illustration that inspired Royal Doulton figures, including several models for this series.