✅ SOLVED 225 Year Old Staffordshire Pottery Figures

[Frankyg]

Hi everyone,
I posted this over on 'Whats It Worth' but got no replies so I thought I'd try here.

Check these out!

These figures are Staffordshire pearlware figures, Faith, Hope and Charity and another called 'The Fruitseller', made around 1790 in Stoke On Trent. I live in this area and have had this confirmed in the world renowned Potteries Museum which is on my doorstep. The museum people won't put a value on the pieces but they tell me that the Faith, Hope and Charity trio is worth a lot more money as a set which these are. Has anyone any ideas? These figures are Incredible....

Regards
Frank

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[Opiate]

Your only hope of getting an appropriate "worth" is from a reputable appraiser.

 

[Tony in SC]

How did you determine the age? Tony

 

[Frankyg]

I took them to the Potteries Museum in Stoke On Trent. They have a day every month where local people can bring things to the museum and their pottery experts will tell you all about them. Famous pottery such as Royal Doulton and Wedgewood as well as a multitude of lesser known makers has been made in this area for centuries and many local people have very old pottery that has passed down the family. So it is in the museums interest to do this. The expert looked at mine and immediately identified it and showed me some similar pieces on display in the museum so I am happy that it has been correctly identified. The only problem is that the museum staff are not allowed to put any sort of value on an item they look at.

 

[Frankyg]

I don't want to sell them. I'm just curious about their value for insurance purposes. They really are fantastic. I'll try and take some close up pics of the detail. They are handpainted and the most striking part are the eyes and eyebrows, with even individual lashes hand painted. I am told that this work was done by children, using a single brush hair, because they had the best eyesight.

 

[Frankyg]

Close up



Amazing

 

[tamrock]

Seek auction records, Ceramics is a hard one to determine value. It's all about the rarity and condition, condition, condition. I stay away from that market as the buyers will note ever little detail and that has a great effect on value. A very picky bunch of folks are the one's who collect old ceramics. Fakes are also a great factor in value. Those folks in China have produced pieces and have fooled some of the best experts in the trade. I don't think that's what you have though. Try Sotheby's appraisal department. Who knows, they may be very interested in what you have.
Sotheby's New York - Greentree Foundation Decorative Works of Art - Page 4 of 11

 

[bdsawyer]

A LATE 18TH EARLY 19TH CENTURY STAFFORDSHIRE SET OF TH : Lot 844

Here is a set I found, sold April 2013. Not saying this is the value, but this set for 140 pounds but one figure had significant damage. Hope that helps and nice figures!

 

[Frankyg]

Thanks Bdsawyer, that is very interesting. The figures in that set appear to be in better condition than mine but they are not from the same set. There is one odd one. I'm not sure how much that affects the value but I think it gives me a good feel for the value. I will insure them for £600.
Thanks again for your help
Regards
Frank

 

[gman7665]

All of Your figures are different than the last link from Tamrock . If You look close they all have differances... Maybe from another year / or a Re-Production in another later year ? or even just a nice Repo any ways I love them !!!

 

[Frankyg]

Thanks Gman.

The reason for the slight differences is that in those days a lot of the pottery figures were made in very small workshops, often sharing a communal kiln for firing, almost a cottage industry. When a particular design became popular then everyone would try to get in on the act. This is where the skill of individual painters was allowed to shine and it is often the quality of the painting rather than the figure itself that is valuable to collectors. The wealthier potters recruited the best painters and this is the origins of the high quality Royal Doulton, Wedgewood, Moorcroft and Woods came from.