A Staffordshire Flatback Figure of T.P. Goode as Ben Backstay, pottery, circa 1850
This theatrical Staffordshire flatback figure is modelled as a sailor dancing the hornpipe. His left hand, in which he holds a money-bag, is raised, and his right hand rests on his hip. He wears a cobalt blue jacket, a black necktie and shoes, and a colourful striped waistcoat. Below his right forearm is his straw hat, tied with a green ribbon, and behind his legs is moulded an anchor. The background is decorated in shades of yellow and ochre, and the front of the base is painted with a thin black line. The glazed concave base has a small air vent to allow gas to escape during the firing process.
The figure may be based on a lithograph of Mr T.P. Cooke as Ben Backstay, published April 9, 1823, by Orlando Hodgson. Thomas Potter Cooke (1786-1864) was a hugely popular actor of the first half of the 19th century, famed particularly for his on-stage portrayals of the British Tar (sailor) in various melodramatic roles.
Condition: There is a tiny scuff to the money-bag and also the tip of the nose. Typical light wear to areas of the on-glaze black enamel. There is a small nick to the foot rim. A very faint glaze line to the waist and also beneath the chin may have been caused by glaze-shrinkage, post-manufacture. From manufacture, there is a small kiln touch to the side of the left arm, and a tiny glazed clay tear to the back of the money-bag. No restoration or overpainting.
Dimensions: Height 19.5 cm; Width (across the base) 7.3 cm; Depth (across the base) 5.5 cm
Ref. Figures such as this are discussed in Pugh (E429, Plate 108).
Staffordshire Portrait Figures of the Victorian Era, P.D. Gordon Pugh (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1988).