What is an antique staffordshire mantle piece?

These pieces are nineteenth-century ceramic figures, animals, and clocks made in the Staffordshire potteries for display on mantelpieces. They encompass portrait subjects, spill vases, and pairs of dogs. Potters shaped them from earthenware and porcelain, finishing them with hand-painted enamels, glazes, and occasional gilt highlights.

How were staffordshire figures used?

Victorian households placed these ceramic figures on mantelpieces, sideboards, and shelves to ornament domestic interiors. Spill vases additionally served the practical purpose of holding wooden fire-lighters near the hearth. Pairs of dogs, such as spaniels and greyhounds, sat symmetrically at either end of a fireplace during the nineteenth century.

How do I identify a flatback figure?

A flatback figure has a fully modelled and decorated front with a flat, plain back designed to stand directly against a wall. This method of construction was standard for nineteenth-century mantel ornaments. It distinguishes them from fully three-dimensional sculptures intended to be viewed from all sides in the round.

What subjects appear on these figures?

Common subjects include pairs of spaniels, pugs, poodles, and greyhounds, frequently accented with glass eyes or blue cushions. Historical and literary figures also appear, ranging from Napoleon III and the Empress of France to Little Red Riding Hood. Makers further produced rural subjects, such as sheep, cows with calves, and Scottish figures.