An extremely rare and fine Staffordshire Whieldon Glazed Model of a Boy Riding a Water Buffalo, Circa 1745-55
Height: 8 Ins (19.8cms.)
Length: 10 Ins (25.5cms.)
Length: 10 Ins (25.5cms.)
Item No. 1863
An extremely rare and fine Staffordshire Whieldon Glazed Model of a Boy Riding a Water Buffalo, beautifully modelled and glazed in tones of brown, blue and green in imitation of...
An extremely rare and fine Staffordshire Whieldon Glazed Model of a Boy Riding a Water Buffalo, beautifully modelled and glazed in tones of brown, blue and green in imitation of Chinese wares. The Boy seated sideways on the animal holding a fan and staff of office. The Buffalo with open mouth and wide staring eyes.
Literature
Both the modelling and colouring closely follow a Chinese original. Another example is illustrated by Leslie B Grigsby, The Henry H Weldon Collection (1990), p.354. The leg of a water buffalo was excavated at the Fenton Vivian site but the models are probably not exclusively the product of Thomas Whieldon’s factory. The buffaloes are also recorded standing beside trees, with reclining riders as shown by Captain R K Price, Astbury, Whieldon, and Ralph Wood Figures, and Toby Jugs (1922), pl.XXVI, no.32 and unaccompanied as shown by Sir Harold Mackintosh, Bt., Early English Figure Pottery (1938), p.29, nos.24 and 26