NOW a collector’s item, Staffordshire figures had their heyday in the Victorian era, a time when mantelpieces and display cases were brimming with decorative objects.
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Despite their 18th century beginnings in the English county of the same name, by the end of the 19th century, Staffordshire figures were mass-produced in several countries including Scotland.
By this stage, far too "common" to be seen on the mantelpieces of the upper classes, the display of Staffordshire figures had become a quintessential middle-class status symbol.
Part of the charm of Staffordshire figures is their naive folk art style.
They were often painted quickly by inexperienced potters, with the more experienced potters busy making finer dining and serving ware.
Few figures bear the mark of their maker as most were made by anonymous potters. It is even said that children were paid a meagre wage to paint embellishments on the figures.
Early pieces were press molded and embellished with fine details and rich colours.
Press moulding was used exclusively until late in the Victorian era when the more efficient industrial-scale process of slip moulding began to take over and Staffordshire figures were produced on a larger scale.
Slip casting was a cheaper process; however, as a consequence details became more streamlined and large figures were often finished off with spray painting, losing the handmade quality and uniqueness of the early figures.
The choice of subject matter evolved in response to popular taste.
Everything from people going about daily activities to historical figures, literary and theatrical characters as well as people from exotic places such as Turkey, China and India were immortalised in clay.
Political events, tabloid headlines and stories of the day were also ready subject matter, appeasing the appetite of an often illiterate public hungry for images. The royals too, particularly Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, were commemorated as Staffordshire figures.
Animals were also fodder for Staffordshire potters who made figurines of parrots, hens, cats, horses, cows, sheep, deer, zebra, lions, elephants, zebras, and, of course, the most popular, dogs.
Although many breeds including greyhounds, collies, poodles and pugs were represented, the King Charles Spaniel was the most popular, owing primarily to Queen Victoria’s spaniel, Dash.
In the Victorian era, a middle-class mantelpiece was not complete without a pair of spaniels standing guard.
There are several examples of Staffordshire figurines in Bendigo Art Gallery’s collection.
The forthcoming exhibition at Post Office Gallery will have several of these on display alongside other fashionable decorative arts, furniture and jewellery from the mid to late 19th century.
The exhibition titled Opulence: luxury in early Bendigo homes provides a snapshot of the eclectic and lavish decorative style of the Victorian era.
It will open on July 3.
Clare Needham is curator of City History & Collections at Bendigo Art Gallery.