The good student and the dunce
Alan Sturrock says he has always liked Staffordshire figures which show the simple life so many of the Victorians had, and how very different life at all stages was as compared to today. This figure shows just that. The good student holding a book sits on a chair whilst the dunce stands next to her standing on one leg on a chair, and wears the telltale dunce’s cap to humiliate him in front of the entire class.
As you will appreciate, education was in itself something only a few early Victorian children were lucky enough to experience and the teaching methods were so very different. The humiliation of a student in this way for not learning as quickly as his fellow pupils would have been commonplace in the village schoolroom. Of course these days such treatment is rightly not allowed and so this figure has a cruel charm of its own as being wonderfully politically incorrect.
However in Alan’s schooling days punishments still occurred. He was made to stand in the corner for misbehaving in class, and more serious misdemeanors almost always meant a beating with a cane by the headmaster.
More Figures of the month
Pair of white cats
This is a rare pair of seated cats, approximately 13 ½” tall. They are decorated in bright gold and date to around 1870-1880. Harding Book Two illustrates this impressive pair on page 239.
Tiger and lion
This is a rare figure of a tiger and lion lying in front of a palm tree. Circus acts with wild animals became very popular in England during the 1830s and it is possible that this figure as well as other animal figures commemorated these events.
Lady Godiva
This is a rare figure portraying Lady Godiva seated sidesaddle on horseback. The figure is titled “Lady Godiva” and is decorated in the manner of the Parr factory, with soft yellow, green, and brown brushstrokes.
Lost Piece
This is an early Staffordshire figure of a woman standing on a grassy pedestal, with a coin in her extended hand. The figure is titled “Lost Piece” and represents the biblical verses found in Luke 15:8-10.
William Shakespeare
This is a gilt script titled figure of William Shakespeare with his right arm resting on a book atop a pedestal. Next to the pedestal is a sloped watch holder with a clock face painted inside, sitting atop a tree decorated with grapes.
Children on Saint Bernard dogs
This is a very rare pair of children seated sideways on Saint Bernards. More common figures have the children laying down or seated facing forward. Others have the rear arms moulded into the figures, instead of being separately moulded as these are. These figures are approximately 10” tall and date to around 1840-1850.
