SOLD - Vintage Beswick Pottery Staffordshire Dog Pair (Wally Dogs), 20cm, Hand Painted

Vintage Beswick Pottery Staffordshire Dog Pair (Wally Dogs), 20cm, Hand Painted

Description

Known to pottery historians and serious collectors as Staffordshire Dogs or, more popularly in England as hearth spaniels or fireplace dogs and in Scotland as wally dugs, these china dogs have been made in Stoke-on-Trent since the early 18th Century. Though examples representing other breeds are sometimes seen, the vast majority are King Charles spaniels, that breed having been very popular from the reign of King Charles II onward with the Royal Family (until they were usurped by those Welsh interlopers the corgis).

Queen Victoria was very fond of the little dogs too. She was given her first when she was when she was 13 years old and named him Dash; he was, according to biographer Elizabeth Longford, her "closest childhood companion" with the two becoming inseparable - on one occasion, when Dash was left in the care of a servant while the young Victoria sailed aboard a yacht, he leapt into the water and swam all the way out to join her. Dash lived to be ten years old and is buried in Windsor Great Park, where his tombstone can still be seen to this day; he was the first in a long line of King Charles spaniels the Queen owned, which is why the Staffordshire dogs became so popular during her reign, eventually becoming one of the era's must-have status symbols: no upper class home was considered complete without a pair of them displayed on the mantelpiece, and some were considerably larger than the real dogs they were modelled on. Naturally, the burgeoning middle classes wanted them too, so by the last quarter of the 19th Century, they were being produced in vast numbers by virtually every pottery in Staffordshire and beyond. Legend has it that Staffordshire Dogs were popular with the wives of sailors who embarked on long voyages: if they were placed back-to-back on a window sill then her husband was home, whereas if they were face-to-face he was away at sea and the lady of the house was potentially open to "entertaining" any passing gentlemen who happened to know the code.

Traditionally, all Staffordshire dogs had gold collars with a gold locket, very possibly mimicking one bought for Dash by his doting owner, and even today all but the very cheapest are hand-painted - the differences in the faces and decoration applied to every pair are considered desirable rather than a fault. This pair are about as traditional as can be with their gold collars and lockets, hand-painted decoration and slightly quizzical expressions. They were made by Beswick Ltd., which began producing them right from day the company was founded in 1894, and like many Beswick products they have only the factory's name and the pattern number (1378-5) incised into the base which makes them very difficult to accurately date; however, since we know that Royal Doulton bought Beswick in 1969 and dropped the name twenty years later it seems very likely that they were made no more recently than 1989 (rights to the name now belong to Dartington Crystal, who have revived it for a new range of ceramic animals - but to date, no Staffordshire dogs). If we had to guess, we'd say that this pair are a little older than 1989, though not by much; we think probably the mid to late 1970s.

Both dogs are in excellent condition without chips, cracks, other damage or repairs. They would benefit from a very light clean to remove the small amount of dust in the deeper recesses of their fur, but there is no wear to the gold or faces. They stand 20cm (8 inches) tall and are 15cm (6 inches) at the widest point. Please note that their original packaging has been lost and they will be supplied in a generic box with plenty of protective material; they do not come with certificates or other paperwork.

Due to the nature of this item it is not always possible for us to identify any missing parts.
For this reason we ask that you please check the pictures carefully, as these show everything that is included.

Further Details & Enquiries

This item has been very kindly donated to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Our ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. Our aim is to provide the highest quality care, helping them to make every moment count.

100% of the money raised from this sale will go to the charity.

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Change of Mind

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Items must be returned to us in the same condition as they were received by you. This includes, but is not limited to: original packaging, original boxes, packaging materials, manuals, blank warranty cards, accessories and documents. We reserve the right to refuse a return or deduct an amount for lost value where the item is returned in a different condition.

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Incorrect/Damaged Goods

We try very hard to ensure that you receive your order in pristine condition. In the unlikely event that your order arrives damaged or faulty, please contact us via eBay immediately, this will be given special priority and you can expect to receive a response within 48 hours, Monday to Friday. Arthur Rank Hospice Charity will cover the cost of domestic return postage for any incorrect or damaged items, subject to the cost of the chosen return method being reasonable. Please contact us before proceeding if unsure.

This one got away