Description

Antique STAFFORDSHIRE? or Staffordshire-Style King Charles Spaniel FIGURINE / STATUETTE / MANTLE DECOR Handpainted Russet Red / Off-White Dog on Navy Blue Base with Gold Trim ca 1850's FREE SHIPPING or local pickup While we can't verify that this is actually a Staffordshire piece, it is at least in the Staffordshire style or inspiration. A few specifics suggest it is Staffordshire, however, and certainly old. Some specifics and areas to inspect are: 1. Pour hole: Looking at the tiny hole (as opposed to dime-size or larger) in the bottom of the base shows that this was made in a press (rather than slip) mold, which shows that this is an original and places the date ca 1850's. 2. Paint and Decoration: This old piece shows the fine strokes of a paint brush, while modern pieces are often colored with swabs or sponges. This old dog has painting on the back side; many new pieces have no painting on the back. There is also more detail in the overall molding, especially in the tails, legs, ears and modeled fur and hair. 3. Gold Trim --Old gold nearly always shows some wear, while new gold usually shows little or no wear and a shiny surface. The dull gilt on this spaniel's collar is relatively soft colored with a very dull luster. 4. Underside of the Base: In addition to the tiny hole left by press casting, the underneath side of the base indicates its age. Glaze on old pieces is usually similar over the entire figure (as it is in this piece). Glaze on many new dogs, however, is intentionally "aged" or "stressed" on normally exposed areas but frequently left unaltered on the under side. Old bases also generally show some signs of the fairly crude, low cost production methods and relatively unskilled labor that made them. Such signs include bits of debris, firing lines and burst bubbles in the glaze and paint drips or runs extending from the sides down and around to the bottom. 5: Rarity: In our exhaustive search for a similar dog, we have found nothing! - PAYMENT : Auction payment for this item is due within 5 days -- and we love to mention fast payment in our feedback! Buy It Now payments are due within 1 day of purchase. Barring extreme weather, we will send your item within 1 business day of receipt of payment. - RETURNS: Because this is a fragile item, we cannot accept returns. Thank you! - Smoke-free environment - Feel free to contact us through eBay with questions… and please check out our other listings, in many and varied categories, including clothing, shoes and accessories, sporting goods and athletic apparel, antiques, collectibles, books, music, home decor, and much more, with more added regularly...