What is the difference between earthenware and porcelain?

Earthenware is a porous, opaque pottery fired at lower temperatures, commonly seen in Staffordshire portrait figures and animals. It is thicker and heavier in the hand. Porcelain is vitrified, denser, and often translucent, fired at high temperatures. Hard-paste porcelain and parian represent this more refined group.

Why are some Staffordshire dogs sold in pairs?

Staffordshire pottery spaniels and poodles were modelled as mirror-image pairs to sit at either end of a Victorian fireplace mantel. Facing inwards toward each other, they anchored the symmetrical display style of the period. Single dogs do occur, but matched pairs represent the complete intended arrangement.

How can I tell a Georgian figure from a Victorian one?

Georgian figures, such as those from Derby or Bow, often feature rococo scroll bases, softer enamels, and lightweight porcelain bodies modelled on classical allegories. They date from the 18th century. Victorian pieces lean toward earthenware bodies, portrait subjects from the 19th century, flatback construction, and more robust domestic scenes.