A Staffordshire Hen on a Nest, pottery, circa 1875
Modelled as a hen on a basket nest, her freshly laid white eggs just visible, this pottery egg holder was made in Staffordshire in around 1875. The bird section lifts off the basket, allowing four hen’s eggs to be stored. The enamel decoration is in traditional colours, with the hen’s plumage being nicely moulded. I especially like the white enamel dots that have been applied to her feathers – this decorative feature does not always occur on hens. Her expression is lovely too – she looks very pleased with herself! A small vent hole at the rear allowed hot gasses to escape during the firing process.
This example is of a smaller size than the standard, and the orange-red basket is also seen less often, making this hen a great piece for the collector of antique Staffordshire pottery or kitchenalia. It would look great on a kitchen dresser or on a shelf, arranged with other folk pottery birds and animals. A display of Staffordshire always adds an instant charm to the home.
Dimensions: Height (to top of tail feathers) 16 cm; Length (along base) 17 cm; Width (across base) 13.4 cm.
Condition: No damage or restoration, just some expected wear to the enamels in a few areas of the plumage and around the top of the basket. From manufacture, there are two tiny clay tears in the glaze which occurred when the clay was in a leather-hard state, prior to its first (biscuit) firing and subsequent glazing. A tiny piece of grit adhered to the glaze on the underside of the base during the firing process. There are a few small stray splashes of enamel to the basket. No overpainting.
Refs. An example of this model, decorated in the same colourway, is illustrated in Harding, Page 231, Fig. 2828.
Victorian Staffordshire Figures, 1835-1875, Book Two, A & N Harding (Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1998).
Price: £150.