+ Collecting chalkware
Inspired by Pamela Nestor’s collection, Janet Gleeson looks at the history of these vintage wall plaques
An element of mystery still shrouds the origins of the African chalkware !gures that "ourished in the 50s and 60s. ‘Their style is exceptional, they are beautifully put together, but we don’t know when, why or where the !rst one was made, or where they were originally sold,’ says specialist collector Simon Foster. The vogue reflects the mindset of a time when decorative trends were underpinned by an acceptance of colonialism and revelled in peacetime joie de vivre. A quest for modernity, novelty and the growing trend for travel also played a part in their evolution. And Simon suspects the Festival of Britain and the immensely popular paintings of exotic-seeming women by the Russian émigré artist Vladimir Tretchikoff may also have helped to ignite the fashion.
Simon’s research into the subject was inspired by the elegantly modelled African !gurines, lamps, bookends and wall plaques his wife had collected before they met. He spent days trawling
The National Archives in his search for registered designs. So far, he has recorded 600 designs, but thinks this is probably only a third of total output.
Duron, a London-based company founded by a German Jewish refugee, Max Löhnberg and his son Herbert, registered around 50 designs. The earliest that Simon has traced was in 1957, although some !gures probably pre-date this. ‘Duron !gures are easily identifiable if they still have the original gold label marked with their name and ‘Made in England’. It’s usually stuck on a green baize pad and there should also be an impressed registration number,’ says Simon. Scantily clad, the women sometimes have extra embellishments such as grass skirts or gold hoop earrings that were part of the original design. Similar-looking pieces were also made by Paoli in London, Bossons in Cheshire, and Manchester !rms Bacci and Nieri.
Chalkware !gures also found a wider international market in the US and Australia, where Barsony Ceramics became a market leader. Its !gures were often embellished with gilding or bold decoration, often depicting "owers, stars, stripes or swirls of red, white and yellow, that was said to have been hand-painted by the wife of the founder, Jean Barsony.
In recent years, renewed interest in mid-century design has led to an upsurge of interest in Duron’s chalkware figures, and prices have risen steeply. ‘You used to be able to buy !gures for a few pounds, but nowadays even smaller pieces by Duron may fetch £60–£70, rising to several hundred for a lamp. Value depends on rarity, decorative appeal and complexity. Made from unfired plaster, chalkware is fragile and condition will also impact on price. Local markets and fairs are the best hunting grounds, and scouring specialist websites (such as durons.wordpress.com) offers the only way to discover more about makers.