Born in Worcester where he attended art school and was also trained at the famous Worcester Porcelain works, he followed the great Charles J. Noke from there to Doultons shortly after the latter’s move in 1889. Noke, like Raby and that early band of artists, was attracted to Doultons for the artistic freedom and the promise. That promise was the inspiration, the originality, the invigoration, the challenge and the demand as Noke himself put it, from one man…Sir Henry Doulton.

Sir Henry Doulton did for the 19th century pottery world what Wedgwood, Spode and others had done in the 18th century. As one American critic at the 1893 Chicago exhibition put it ‘Doultons have completely outstripped their rivals and are today the leaders in English potting.’

And so we return to Edward Raby. Raby’s pedigree stems back from artistic excellence in his father, a flower modeller at Worcester (Porcelain) and also his grandfather, also a Bristol (Pottery) flower modeller. Raby is famed for the use of a secret ‘Raby mauve’ in his painting and also his exquisite grouping which makes his painting live and glow.

Examples of Raby’s works can be found in the great museums of the world from America to Australia. Illustrated here is an exceptional example of his work coming up at Lion and Unicorn Auctions 24 August 2025.

This model is as inspired by an Edmund Dulac illustration in his Picture Book for the French Red Cross from 1915. Also known as A Chinese Mandarin and The Mikado, he was no doubt popularised by the contemporary musical comedy The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Collectors will be interested to see that this particular HN colourway is on a Titanian body, like a small group of other figures from this period, the Titanian body offered a richer base to emphasise the particular decoration used for this colourway. Interestingly the double Spooks figure can also be found with a Titanian body in certain colourways.

Several other important figures can be traced to Dulac’s book including the legendary Princess Badoura and several of the One of the Forty (Thieves) models.

This particularly rare version of A Mandarin is the first HN colourway of him. Modelled by Royal Doulton’s then art director at their Burselm factory, C. J. Noke, he was introduced in 1918 and available to order until around 1936, when the block was destroyed due to not having been used in then recent times, like so many other early model blocks.

The auction for this exceptionally rare model and a selection of other rarities, will take place at 2pm on Wednesday 10thSeptember at Adam Partridge’s Macclesfield saleroom, here is a link to the website

https://auctions.adampartridge.co.uk/auction/search/?au=177

George White 1885-1912

The choice of artist profile for this post, was an easy one given the choice example of White’s work coming up this Sunday at Lion and Unicorn Auctions in Florida.

In today’s world White is regarded as one of the greats from the Burslem studio, moreover the top of his particular field of figure painting. Like another Doulton great, Hannah Barlow, he too was the product of the South Kensington and Lambeth Art Schools. Doulton themselves recognised his talents early on in his career there with his work taking prominence in any exhibit of the time. In the book ‘The Royal Doulton Artists’ Owen attests “In portraiture White attains the happy success of not only ‘catching’ the likeness of his subject but in seizing and expressing personality – the supreme test of the portrait painter.” True praise indeed from 1910 by Owen, but this sentiment was also reflected by Sir Henry Doulton who White painted, along with his brother James and other Burslemartists of the period. 

That other Royal Doulton legend, Charles Noke said of White ‘…not only did he depict the human form divine with beauty, grace and delicacy, but he…. also brought out the individual personalities of his models. 

A cursory glimpse through the Royal Doulton paper archives illustrates the position White was held in, as you see his name next to many important exhibition vases with the words ‘Figures by Mr. White’.

White painted one of the famous Diana vases for the 1893 Chicago Exhibition and also a Dante vase in collaboration with Chares Labarre. In the Doulton Burslem wares book Desmond Eyles notes that a large vase by White titled Titania was made specifically for Prince Rajitsingh. 

The variety of ladies painted by White be they fanciful, allegorical or otherwise remain among the most prized items by collectors today and his work regularly sets the auction world abuzz. White’s ladies clad in diaphanous clothing have retained all of their original appeal and with titles including Sleeping Beauty, The Dance, Orpheus and Eurydice, Cupid and Psyche and Spring Frolic we today adore his work in equal measure to his contemporaries.

Whilst he will always be remembered for his freehand painting, White also contributed designs for more mass production at Burslem and these typically carry a GW number on the base. Other alternate markings indicating some transfer with overpainting by White and these include George A. and also A. Dix was a popular pseudonym of his.

As for inspiration here is the aforementioned case by White…delectable charm on fine china!

 

The legendary Burslem art director, Charles Noke, had a long fascination with Jesters as seen by any cursory glance through the Royal Doulton ranges of yesteryear – from the later 19c Vellum figures ‘The Jester’ and ‘Mirth and Melancholy’, to character jugs including ‘Touchstone’, to unique art ware pieces such as this Holbein tyg by Noke himself. 

This particular piece is a one-off example by the art director himself and dates to the 1890s. All decorated and painted by hand, I haven’t seen the same shape with this character before.

The character in question is Touchstone, that most famous of court jesters featured in Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’. He is a court Jester, used throughout the play to both provide a public voice of reason or challenge, and humour, sometimes vulgar humour, fitting the archetypal Shakespearean fool. 

Around the turn of the 20th Century there were many exciting introduction at Doulton’s Burslem studios, many the brainchildren of the famous Charles Noke. Holbein ware (1895-1915) is a typical example of Noke’s experimentation with glazes and bodies. Holbein wares give the impression of old masters through the use of yellow, green and brown slip on a cream earthenware body. Portraits on these vases were typically by Harry Tittensor and Walter Nunn among others. Incidentally this name of ware was also given to a series of items of art nouveau shape including candlesticks and oil lamp bases. Further Holbein pieces not featuring portraits but rather nocturnal animals including owls also appear. This ware had a special backstamp but it was not always used, creating certain confusion about this particular ware. This ware should not be confused with Rembrandt ware.

Thanks to Lion and Unicorn Auctions for use of the images. This lot is coming up 22 June 2025 @ 17.00. 

One of the star lots next weekend is this early prototype of the figure that would become Belle o‘ the Ball HN1997. 

Modelled by the talented Roy Charles Asplin, this early prototype version was blocked in June 1945, this month marking its 80th birthday!  This prototype is model 1275, whereas the version produced without the man and the Belle in different colours was model 1286, indicating that the original model was swiftly disgraced and swiftly remodelled without the male figure.  Interestingly the produced model of just the ladybug the sofa was not introduced until 1947. 

This delightful model makes perfect sense with the Belle and her suitor paying court to her! One can trace this model not only through a late 1930s blocking book but also the original shape model book. In the latter, one can see that the number 1275 was soon reassigned to one of Peggy Davies‘ small pig models. 

As with all prototypes the modelling is not only crisper but the detail in the painting is exceptional, as these prototypes were painted only by their most established and trusted artists. 

Roy Charles Asplin is perhaps not a name many know in connection with Royal Doulton but he was in fact apprenticed to the company before emigrating to Canada where he lived out his life until 2014. Born in 1925 in Hanley, one of the famous Six Towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent, his years with Royal Doulton set his career path as he continued to model and produce figures as well as character jugs and even statues. His style of Royal Doulton figures is quite different to his contemporaries Leslie Harradine and Peggy Davies, and here is a photograph of him from 1943 at the age of 18 modelling a further prototype duo after the ballet stars Moira Shearer and Alexis Rassine. 

 

Another inspiration piece this time by the sculptor Agatha Walker. Readers may recall us previously looking at Harradine’s Royal Doulton figure Anthea, which was similarly inspired by Walker’s work and of course the similarities between Walker’s and Harradine’s Beggars Opera figures is immediately obvious. For the latter both took direct inspiration from the original Lovat Fraser costume designs for the Beggars Opera.

Returning to Miranda, here you can see the wax Agatha Walker figure (below) in the V&A collection of the actress Edith Evans (1886-1961) who famously portrayed Mrs. Sullen in George Farquhar’s comedy The Beaux’ Stratagem.

Just like the Beggars Opera it was performed at the Lyric Hammersmith and was a success. The Beaux’ Stratagem is a comedy, known for its witty dialogue and satirical portrayal of social dynamics.

Perhaps one of the most versatile artists at the Lambeth factory, Eliza proved that she was more than capable of adapting her style to changing contemporary styles. Just like the equally versatile Frank Butler, Eliza was a leading artist in the art nouveau movement for the Lambeth factory.

Eliza demonstrated her adept touch at most of the techniques that were made at the Lambeth studio and her skill on Silicon ware shows equal flair as her tubelined decoration.

I recall early on in my Doulton’s initiation being introduced to a student preparing a thesis on Eliza and great discussion was had on her change of spelling of her first name. No real trigger was mentioned but it is something worthy of note.

Of all her styles it is perhaps the many and varied art nouveau designs the Eliza completed in the early 20C that she is perhaps best known for today. It was these designs that really stood her apart from the other Doulton artists from the earlier Victorian period. Over her career the variety of designs she conjured up is mind boggling to us today – no two were ever identical and each was a fresh take on a theme or style.

Eliza‘s long career at Lambeth came to a close in 1928, just as tastes were again changing. Today we can only imagine what she must have made of the changes over her career at the Lambeth factory where production had slowed significantly by the time of her departure, from when she started in 1873 as a former student at the Lambeth School of Art under John Sparks.

Brangwyn ware 1930-40

Charles Noke, Royal Doulton’s legendary Art Director, was always a man ahead of his time, constantly on the search for something new and thus Doulton approached Frank Brangwyn R. A. to design a range of tableware.

Originally intended to offer to the masses at a reasonable cost, the designs proved unpopular at the time and as always the rarity of this ware has meant that it has become very collectable since then. In addition to tableware designs, Brangwyn’sdesigns can also be found on various vases which are equally popular today.

This ware carries one of two backstamps, the first ‘Designed by Frank Brangwyn’ and also ‘Brangwynware’ a Doulton pastiche.

In addition, once again Doulton’s in-house designers produced similar designs to the official Brangwyndesigns and these carry a D number. 

When it comes to Royal Doulton I always say expect the unexpected. Over the last few years several of these finials have appeared on the market.

My first memory of these most unusual items I recall – a Dragon with wings open – in the hallway for many years peering out from under a table.

These remarkable works of art are so
not just due to their size but also what they represent.

Although Doulton had long working relations with many well-known sculptors including Richard Garbe and Frederick Roth, it is the partnership with Gilbert Bayes that would prove the most fruitful and longlasting. Indeed it was the untimely death of Bayes in 1953 that ended their nearly 30 year partnership.

Readers will be familiar with the Bayes plaque ‘Pottery through the Ages’ which once adorned the façade of the former Doulton House on the banks of the Thames and which now resides
in the V&A in Kensington.

During the 1930’s, Gilbert Bayes worked on a community art project for the St. Pancras Housing Association Improvement Society as part of a slum clearance scheme at Sidney Street in Somerstown, north of Euston station, and at other sites across London. The aim was the provision of high-quality homes for the poorest tenants. The society’s architect was Ian B. M. Hamilton, and he designed all the new flats to stand on the cleared land. Since Bayes believed that art should be available to all people, this commission was very close to his heart. He produced relief model lunettes of fairy tale characters, as well as ceramic sculptures and post finials for the washing line
posts. The finials were inspired by animals and plants, nursery rhymes, Christmas cards, or the lives of the saints.

All the post finials and relief panels were made by Royal Doulton between 1931 and 1938 and as well as at Somerstown the Society commissioned these embellishments by Bayes at their other London projects. Bayes’ duck finials for example were used at the Athlone Estate (1933-7) in Kentish Town and the dragons, rose and thistle finials were made for the York Rise Estate (1937-8) near Highgate
Hill. All the original post finials from the project have now been removed, although some original relief plaques and ornaments remain at Sidney Street, which collectors can visit.

With special thanks to Louise Irvine, Lyon & Turnbull and Lion & Unicorn Auctioneers for images and reference materials.