John Liston
This is an early Staffordshire figure of the actor John Liston, portraying the role of Van Dunder in the play ‘Twould Puzzle a Conjurer’ or ‘The Two Peters’, by John Poole. The play debuted at the Haymarket Theatre in London in 1824. This figure stands about 6 3/4” tall and dates to approximately 1825. It may be found in Myrna Schkolne’s Staffordshire Figures, Volume 2, page 72.
John Poole (1786–1872), an English playwright, was one of the earliest and best known 19th century playwrights of the comic drama, the farce. The 1824 playbill of ‘Twould puzzle a conjurer’ says:
‘This drama is founded upon the well-known historical fact of Peter the Great, (the Czar of Russia,) having been a workman in the Dockyards of Saardam, where he learnt thoroughly the art and mystery of a ship builder, with the view of founding thereafter a Russian Navy worthy of the greatness of his vast Empire – at his command Petersburg rose, as it were, from the marshes of the Neva, into a capital to vie with Moscow, and finally to overshadow its greatness. Poole has scarcely done justice to the Czar, who although the hero of his Drama, is a very second-rate consideration. The plot is simple and the story well told, and when acted with care never fails to ensure the approbation of the audience.’
Two images from the time inspired by John Poole’s play:
More Figures of the month
Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnny
This is a rare pair of early figures of Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnny, characters in the Robert Burns play “Tam O’Shanter”, written in 1790.
A pair of giraffes
This is a fine pair of Staffordshire giraffes, seated below palm trees, each approximately 5 ½” tall. These figures are very rare, dating to approximately 1850.
Old Age
This is a fine pair of early Staffordshire figures portraying “Old Age”. They stand about 8 ¾” tall and date to about 1820.
A pair of pointers
This is a rare pair of Staffordshire foxhounds, pointers, or game dogs. Whatever one decides to call them, they are an unusual and very fine pair.
Reverand Edward Meyrick Goulburn
This is a rare Staffordshire figure of the Reverand Edward Goulburn, standing approximately 11 1/2” tall and dating to about 1860.
Richard Cobden
This is a rare Staffordshire figure of Richard Cobden, the English politician, economist, and leader of the effort to abolish the Corn Laws in 1846.
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