STAFFORDSHIRE STAFFORD DOGS
Janet Gleeson speaks to specialist Paul A erbury about these charming and characterful ceramics, which were originally intended for modest co ages
Fashions ebb and !ow but, as man’s best friend, dogs have always had a special place in our homes and hearts. Perhaps that’s why soulful spaniels, elegant greyhounds and various other endearing canines made in the 19th century po"eries of Sta #ordshire are still the treasured guardians of many people’s hearths and mantelpieces.
‘Although no one knows who made the $ rst Sta #ordshire dog, the starting point was certainly a dog celebrity: Dash, Queen Victoria’s closest childhood companion, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, painted by Landseer and appearing in many prints,’ says specialist Paul A"erbury.
By the 1840s, dozens of small po"eries in Sta #ordshire were making spaniels in a variety of sizes, ranging from around 5cm in height to over 30cm. ‘They were made and sold as facing pairs. The earliest were simply fashioned from earthenware, press moulded in two pieces and painted by women or children in lots of di #erent colours: black, russet brown or lustre. The collar and chain are moulded in the $gure and usually gilded, and some dogs have glass eyes.’
Although they were a cheap product, made in their thousands to be sold at markets and fairs, they o%en have charming expressions full of character. ‘ They were part of a Victorian co" age interior, de$ nitely not for the smart home. So, from a historical perspective, they are an interesting indicator of increasing working class wealth,’ explains Paul.
As the fashion took hold, other dogs – o%en with royal connections – also appeared. Prince Albert’s favourite greyhound, Eos, was modelled seated and recumbent. You might also $ nd poodles and Newfoundlands, and