How do I style spaniels on a mantelpiece?

Place the pair of spaniels facing inward toward the centre of the mantelpiece, mirroring how they sat on nineteenth-century hearths. Keep them at eye level where the hand-painted enamel details and gilt highlights can catch the room's light.

What periods do these spaniels come from?

The pieces span the nineteenth century, with strong representation from the Victorian era alongside Regency and specific decades like eighteen sixty and eighteen eighty. Dates are determined by the potting style, glaze characteristics, and modelling conventions of the period.

Are these dogs always found in pairs?

Many examples are modelled and sold as matching pairs designed to sit symmetrically on either side of a fireplace. Collections also include single figures, groups with puppies, or larger sets of four.

What materials make up these figures?

Makers utilised earthenware, ceramic, and stoneware as the primary body materials for shaping the dogs. Surfaces were then finished with glazes, hand-painted enamel colours, copper lustre, and occasional glass eyes.