Ceramic Figurine Pair
A ceramic figurine pair brings symmetry and character to a mantelpiece, offering matched sculptural subjects modelled across multiple centuries.
Ceramic Figurine Pair
A ceramic figurine pair spans domestic animals, historical figures, and theatrical subjects designed to sit in balanced compositions on a mantelpiece or shelf. When searching for a ceramic figurine pair, buyers encounter everything from 18th-century Derby stags to Victorian Staffordshire spaniels and French earthenware figures.
The selections on this page range from early porcelain birds and Dutch Delft cows to later earthenware bookends and figural salts. These dual groups often incorporate functional elements such as spill vases or inkwells alongside purely decorative forms.
How They Were Made
Makers shaped these dual pieces using porcelain, earthenware, and faience, applying hand-sculpting and moulding techniques to achieve distinct sculptural forms. Surface decoration relied upon careful painting with enamel, glaze, and occasional gold leaf or gilt highlights.
Many items received lead glazes or specific blue and white finishes before firing in kilns, while others incorporated ebonised bases to support the ceramic body.
Ceramic Figurine Pair Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for ceramic figurine pair among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Poodles appear ready for the groomer while Victorian greyhounds fiercely guard tiny hares beneath their paws.
What Varies in Quality
Superior pairs maintain symmetry between both figures and preserve their original gilding or glaze depth without heavy wear or restoration.
Derby·Samson of Paris·Karl Ens·Royal Worcester·Royal Dux Bohemia
The Ceramic Figurine Pair Glossary
- Staffordshire
- A regional ceramic style originating from English potteries, famous for producing earthenware dogs, figures, and animals intended for domestic display.
- Spill Vase
- A hollow sculptural vessel designed to hold taper spills for lighting fires or pipes, frequently incorporated into animal figures.
- Flatback
- A style of figure moulded with a flat unpainted rear side intended to sit flush against a wall or mantelpiece.
- Majolica
- A type of earthenware coated in an opaque tin glaze and painted with bright metallic oxide colours before firing.
- Faience
- European tin-glazed earthenware produced across France and other regions, known for its decorative painted surfaces.
Ceramic Figurine Pair: Frequently Asked Questions
How were Staffordshire dogs displayed?
Staffordshire dogs were traditionally placed on either side of a fireplace mantelpiece to face one another.
This symmetrical arrangement matched the domestic interior fashions of the Victorian era.
What is a spill vase figure?
A spill vase figure combines a decorative animal or human subject with an integrated cylindrical holder.
These holders stored wooden spills used for transferring flames from the hearth to candles.
Were these figures always sold as pairs?
Many figures were modelled and fired simultaneously as balanced pairs to decorate mantelpieces and sideboards. Some examples survived together while others became separated over generations.