Royal Doulton Red Flambe Porcelain Figurine "ELEPHANT"

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Royal Doulton Red Flambe Porcelain Figurine "ELEPHANT"

About the Item

Over 500 years ago Chinese potters first experimented with copper oxide glazes to create a fiery red finish that became known as Flambe. When these Sung Dynasty (AD 960 to 1279) porcelain pieces reached Europe, they were collectively called flambe, because the glaze’s resemblance to flames, and were instantly prized by collectors. Sung Dynasty ceramics are considered by many to be history’s foremost expression of the ceramic art. Although the origin of these striking flambe ( or transmutation) glazes is lost in legend, one of the greatest achievements of Royal Doulton’s artisans was the rediscovery of long-lost secrets from China’s master potters, and their ceramic ware that was renowned for its rich, blood-red and ruby effects. Marks on verso indicated the piece was made after 1930. After much experimenting and hard work, the Doulton company found immediate success at the St. Louis Exhibition in 1904. More experimenting continued in order to perfect the art of flambe and in 1920 Royal Doulton exhibited its new “Sung” wares and proved they were still the pioneers in the flambe field. Later generations of Europeans dubbed the color sang-d-boeuf, because it resembled ox blood. Royal Doulton is an English ceramic and home accessories manufacturer that was founded in 1815 by John Doulton at Lambeth, London in association with John Watts and known as Doulton and Watts. Operating originally in Vauxhall, London, and later moving to Lambeth, in 1882 it opened a factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the centre of English pottery. From the start, the backbone of the business was a wide range of utilitarian wares, mostly stonewares including storage jars, tankards and the like, and later extending to other technical ceramics. From 1853 to 1901, its wares were marked Doulton and Co., then from 1901, when a royal warrants was given, Royal Doulton. It always made decorative wares, mostly stoneware, and from the 1860s, the firm made considerable efforts to get a reputation for design, in which it was largely successful, as one of the first British makers of art pottery initially done through artistic stonewares made in Lambeth, but in 1882 the firm bought a Burslem factory, which was mainly intended for making bone china, tablewares and decorative items. It was a latecomer in this market compared to firms such as Royal Crown Derby, Royal Worcester, Wedgwood, Spoke and Mintons, but made a place for itself in the later 19th century . Today Royal Doulton mainly produces tableware and figurines. The company took the name Doulton & Co. in 1854 after the retirement of John Watts in 1853, and a merger with Henry Doulton and Co., although the trading name of Doulton & Watts continued to be used for decades. For some of the 19th century there were three different businesses, run by the sons of John Doulton, and perhaps with cross-ownership, which later came back together by the end of the century. By 1897 the total employees exceeded 4,000. By this time Doulton was popular for stoneware and ceramics, under the artistic direction of John Slater who worked with figurines, vases, character jugs, and decorative pieces designed by the prolific Leslie Harradine. Burslem make larger quantities of bone china tablewares and figurines. By 1904 over 1200 people were employed at Burslem alone. The retirement and death of Sir Henry Doulton, both in 1897, led to the company going public at the start of 1899. The company added products during the first half of the 20th century and the tableware and decorative wares tended to shift from stonewares t high-quality bone china. Figurines in fashionable styles became increasingly important, for example a series of young girls in bathing costumes, in a mild version of Art Deco. Figures continued to be important throughout the 20th century, but the peak of quality in modeling and painting is generally thought to have been between the two world wars. In 1969 Doulton bought Beswick Pottery, long a specialist in figurines, mostly of animals, including some Beatrix Potter characters. Their factory in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent was used to make the popular “Bunnykins” range of anthropomorphic rabbits, originally produced in 1936 to designs by the then managing director’s daughter, Barbara Bailey.

Creator:
Royal Doulton (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain,Glazed,Molded
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1930 - 1950
Condition:
Seller Location:
Bloomfield Hills, MI
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU7781235507702

Shop All Royal Doulton

Royal Doulton

The redoubtable British ceramics maker Royal Doulton has long embraced popular tastes and enjoys a devoted following among aficionados of English pottery. Some are drawn to the company’s intricately decorated bone china dinner services; others are passionate collectors of Royal Doulton’s artfully hand-painted vases, bowls and figurines.

When founded in 1815 in the Lambeth section of suburban London, Doulton & Co. produced bottles and other storage containers and even sewer pipes in stoneware, a cheap but durable cousin of porcelain. Amid the Victorian era’s rising concern for hygiene, food safety and sanitation, the company flourished. And in the late 1870s Doulton expanded its business into the applied arts.

The firm took over a factory in Staffordshire, in northern England — the traditional home of British ceramics manufacturing — to produce tableware. Around the same time, Doulton opened an art-pottery studio in Lambeth, where vases, urns and other forms were decorated with painted scenic images, flowers or historical motifs. Taking a cue from the venerable Meissen porcelain workshops in Germany, Doulton artisans began crafting figurines modeled on characters from literature and theater. The firm also helped popularize Toby Jugs and other “character mugs” — handled cups shaped as the heads of figures from folklore and popular culture. King Edward VII granted the company the Royal Warrant in 1901.

Royal Doulton china will always make an elegant yet not-too-formal appearance in a traditional table setting. Prices for dinner services vary according to size, age and condition, but generally range from $2,000 to $15,000. Royal Doulton art pottery might be used by some as a bright decorative note; others collect the company’s figurines with the same interest and dedication as stamp and coin enthusiasts. A typical Toby Jug might fetch $50, while very rare figurines can sell for $7,000. Most of the finest Royal Doulton art pottery pieces sell for around $500. As you will see on these pages, few decorative-arts companies are as aesthetically and stylistically diverse as Royal Doulton. The firm truly offers something for everyone.