Pair of Staffordshire Pottery Greyhound /Whippet Pen Holders, Early 19th Century

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Pair of Staffordshire Pottery Greyhound /Whippet Pen Holders, Early 19th Century

About the Item

This is a very charming pair of pen holders in the shape of greyhounds or whippets, made in Staffordshire in the early 19th century. The pair is made of pottery. This would make a wonderful Christmas gift to a dog lover! It is estimated that at some point in the early 19th century there were 300 potteries in the Staffordshire area, many of which left no trace other than the beautiful items they made. This pair is from one of those potteries that have not left any clear traces, and it is likely that they were made between 1815 and 1835. These are either whippets or greyhounds, and they are recumbent on a cobalt blue base with a faint gilt line around it. The dogs have thin black collars and beautiful faces with big eyes and whiskers. What is particularly charming is that the dogs are different - they clearly were handwork and although each part of the body was probably made in the same mould, how the dog was put together depended on the person who shaped them. Their colors are also very slightly different. These dogs served as pen holders in an era when letters were written with a quill and ink. You can tell they have been used as the holes are inky and one of the dogs has an ink stain on its back. Condition report Both dogs are in excellent condition without any damage or repairs. As they were made of pottery, they are a little crazed. One of the dogs as a small firing imperfection behind its ear, which is quite normal for pottery items of this era. Antique British ceramics are never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Dimensions: height 14cm (5.5"), length 19cm (7.5"), width 6cm (2.5").

Attributed to:
Staffordshire (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)Width: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Regency (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Pottery,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Early 19th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Good condition without damage or repairs, some crazing, ink stain on back, small firing fault.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: A-ANO331stDibs: LU4805116882231