Discovered in the Junk Shop of Hungerford Arcade this afternoon, a sweet pair of harvesters, frozen forever as they cut the corn in the late summertime of a Victoiran afternoon.
They are both grubby, and she has at some time lost her head - and found it again, as it is glued on very crudely. This is better than the alternative, however - of losing her head completely - the glue can easily be dissolved and her head reglued invisibly.
These "Stafforshire figures" (so called because they were originally made in the pottery manufacturing towns of the country of Staffordshhire) were once made by the thousand and sold for very little, adorning the chimneypieces of many Victorian cottage parlours. They might also be won as fairground prizes.
They were often made to depict famous characters of the day - Queen Victoria herself and Prince Albert were, of course, particularly popular, but prize fighters, politicians and murderers, (all in their own way notorious!), were also popular characters to be reproduced.
This pair is particulrly charming - not as highly coloured as some, but with the most appealing facial features and some fine modelling, which makes me think that perhaps they are of an earlier date.
I have a whole box full of these charming little items packed away - this afternoon's find has jogged my memory and encouraged me to rediscover and repair the others so that they can once again be dispayed gaily together as they all deserve.
Charming Roz. I look forward to see your whole collection. :-)
Posted by: Britt-Arnhild | Monday, March 07, 2005 at 21:29
Gee Roz, yoru description of the head of the harvester sounds like my own head at times ha ha. Nice info about them and I too look forward to seeing your whole collection.
Posted by: Carolyn | Thursday, March 10, 2005 at 14:43