Category Archives: Animals

Animals, Art deco, Birds, Character birds

Collecting Doulton’s early ‘Character Birds’.

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HN 287 mounted on a powder bowl.

Having recently looked at powder bowls and boxes, you may have noticed some of Doulton’s early character birds used as finials.

  
A colour variation of model 338.

Introduced in 1922 and withdrawn by 1946 (although given their rarity today a much earlier withdrawal date is certain), these rare birds do occasionally appear and when try do they are typically found mounted on anything from desk accessories to menu holders and place name holders for the dinner table. 

  
A selection of character birds in the foreground seen at the ‘Gallery of Amazing Things’ in January.

There were some 11 models of birds created and all were available in more than one colourway, providing much scope for collectors. Indeed when they appear mounted on objects you are likely to find an unrecorded colourway of one of these delightful birds! 

  
A delightful version of model 338 – HN 261.

A collection of these characterful birds is acid able but it will take time and dedication to build, together with a rather deep pocket! 

Animals, Art deco, Powder Bowls

Collecting Doulton Powder Bowls.

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It seems hard to believe today that powder boxes and their like we’re once a staple on every well-to-do dressing table. These halcyon times seem a very long ago now, but back in the 1920’s and early 1930’s Doulton were producing such boxes for well-heeled ladies!

  
Elephant finial on base featuring the Veridian seriesware pattern. 

Even before the 1920’s a couple of early figures in the HN collection were adapted as powder bowls, typically with the bowl being the lower part of the figure’s skirt. The Flounced Skirt and Lady and Blacksmoor are two such figures that were adapted as powder bowls, with examples of the former turning up bearing the Dubarry name to her base; the famous perfumier and cosmetics manufacturer. The name Dubarry may be familiar to Doulton collectors as Doulton also produced ceramic atomisers and some specifically for Dubarry.

  
Early character bird on a typical lustre bowl. 

Other powder bowls featured figures simply incorporated into the lid of the piece, such as Cassim or The Japanese Fan. 

  
The Japanese Fan as a powder bowl finial. This figure can be found on a rounded bowl too. 

Still further examples feature early Doulton animals including these charming, rare character birds that lend them perfectly to this purpose and as decoration to many desk accessories and even place setting or menu holders.

  
Character Bird and Kingfisher finials.

Animals, Brooches

Collecting Doulton Animal Brooches! 

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 A selection of Dog brooches @Lion and Unicorn auctions 14 April 2024 
Medium size Spaniel brooch.

A rather bizarre aspect to Doulton animal collecting are the extremely rare range of brooches featuring dog heads, one cat and even a kingfisher to collect.

  
Airedale brooch.

Produced in the 1930’s this area of collecting Doulton animals offers great scope as there are sure to be undiscovered examples out there! 

  
Unusual St. Bernard brooch.

Some brooches were made in large, medium and small sizes and others including the spaniel were available in different colourings identical to the breed. 

  
Publicity photograph featuring dogs’ head brooches.

These brooches all have a dress fitting and pin to the reverse with Royal Doulton engraved. I have yet to see an example without the brass fitting to see if the pottery also bears the Doulton symbol or name! 

  
Brass fitting on the reverse. 

Animals, Art deco

Collecting Doulton stamp trays. 

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Character fox HN866.

From time to time one spots familiar items mounted with various Doulton wares and such was the case when I recently saw this Dickens miniature of Tony Weller mounted on a genuine Shagreen base together with a sterling silver stamp holder or stamp moistener (the moistener missing), just like mine with the fox above. 

 
Tony Weller HN544.
Here is a further example mounted with a very rare character Beagle, a very early Doulton animal currently available from Seaway China. 

 
Character Beagle HN831.

 The sterling silver mark on the stamp holder gives us the year 1923 as the year of production. 

Animals, Artists, Raoh Schorr

The sculptor Raoh Schorr’s work for Royal Doulton. 

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Catalogue cover from 1937.

Schorr was a renowned animal sculptor and Doulton always keen to be ahead of the game, commissioned him to produce a range of Art Sculptures for Royal Doulton in 1936. This series of animals are all rare today and the ones that typically turn up tend to be the more sentimental models such as the Sleeping Calf or Moufflon Lying. There were two size groups produced, a small size ranging from 2-6” and a large size of c. 11”. 

  
Large size Buffalo.

The majority of models were small and it is these which turn up occasionally. Schorr’s models were available in naturalistic colouring, white matt or a green bronze, although I have read that they were also available in black basalt. I have seen only two examples of the large animals, the fox HN1130 both of which painted naturalistically and only once have I seen the large Asiatic Elephant in a green-bronze glaze. Desmond Eyles wrote in The Doulton Burslem Wares that the range “although highly regarded by art critics they did not meet with much public response” and they were swiftly withdrawn, he says in the war years, but I have only seen animals with impressed dates before 1939.

  
Catalogue page illustrating the three finishes available.