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History
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Grand
Dezign is your #1 source for Discontinued and Hard-to-Find Royal
Doulton Figurines. Grand Dezign is an
Authorized Royal Doulton Dealer, offering an extensive selection of
Royal Doulton Figurines that are MADE IN ENGLAND. Enjoy
the elegance and timeless beauty of the highly-collectible Royal
Doulton Figurines, or give a gift for any occasion or taste at
exceptional prices. All figurines presented in this website are
in stock and will ship the same day as purchase.
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You can select from a wide variety of Character
Figures,
including Historical
Figures, Stuart
Kings & Queens,
Queens
of the Realm,
Sea
Characters, Balloon
Sellers, Street
Vendors, Elderly
Ladies, Men,
Middle-Eastern
Men, the
adorable Children
& Child Studies
which also includes the Kate
Greenaway Series.
We also offer Limited
Editions,
Figurines in a Series such as The
Seasons, Vanity
Fair Ladies, Michael
Doulton Events,
Charleston,
Teenagers,
Les
Femmes Fatales,
Ladies
of Covent Garden,
Classics
Country Maid Collection,
Dancers
of the World,
Characters
from Children's Literature,
Age
of Innocence,
Gilbert
and Sullivan's,
Ladies
of the British Isles,
Royal
Doulton Collectors Club,
Clowns
, Peggy
Davies Collection ,
British
Sporting Heritage, Limited
Edition Walt Disney Collection, and many more.
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We
offer figurines in other categories such as Christmas,
Figures
of the Month, Figures
of the Year, Lord
of the Rings / Middle Earth, Miniatures,
Prestige
Figures, Pretty
Ladies, Rare
& Hard-to-Find that include color variations and
antique figurines, Reflections
and Figures
from Williamsburg. Take time and browse our website.
We hope you find one, two or even more figurines you cannot live
without!
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A
Brief History of Royal Doulton
Figurines: In 1815,
John Doulton invested the family savings of a hundred pounds in a
small business on the banks of the River Thames in Lambeth, London.
The Company quickly expanded and during the 1830s, John was
joined by his sons. It was his second son, Henry,
who was to become the driving force in the business. Under
Henry’s influence, sanitary ware and drainpipe manufacture
commenced, an art studio was opened at Lambeth and a factory was
acquired in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent for the manufacture of tableware.
Henry’s contribution to the ceramic industry was widely
acknowledged, and in 1887 he became the first potter to be knighted.
In 1897, the "Big Potter" died but it was in the
tribute to him that in 1901 the Company was granted the Royal Warrant
by King Edward VII and commanded to use the word "Royal" to
describe the Company and its products.
The factory at
Burslem developed rapidly during the last years of the nineteenth
century. The Art Director, John Slater, and his assistant, Charles
Noke, were responsible for introducing many new designs, for modeling
spectacular shapes and for inventing decorative techniques. The
success of the partnership was illustrated at the World’s Columbian
Exhibition in Chicago, USA, in 1893 when the Company was acclaimed as
" the leader in English pottery". Many new designs were on
show including the first freestanding Royal Doulton figures/figurines.
The introduction of
figures/figurines was one of Noke’s greatest ambitions and during
the early 20th century he developed this concept further.
In 1913 a second collection was introduced. Queen Mary who was
visiting the factory in that year saw one of the figures and
exclaimed, "isn’t he a Darling". The figure was renamed
"Darling" in her honor and several variation have been made
of this model through the years. A century after the first figures
were launched, over 5,000 different models have been produced. The
collection today is extensive and the collector has a wide choice
including Pretty Ladies, Character Studies, Images, Reflections,
Sentiments, as well as Limited Edition and Prestige models.
Royal
Doulton Insignia, Marks & Backstamps: Royal
Doulton uses the term backstamp to refer to the Royal Doulton factory
mark whether incised, printed or impressed. Over the years,
various backstamps have been used and these are invaluable in
determining the age of figures. For the Royal Doulton figures,
the basic mark incorporates the lion over the crown with the words
Royal Doulton surrounding four interlocking "Ds". This
backstamp was incorporated in 1901 to mark the grant of the Royal
Warrant by King Edward VII together with the specific right to use the
word "Royal" to designate Doulton productions. This
mark has been modified several times since 1922 by the addition of
information such as registration numbers, etc. The term 'Bone
China' is stated in the backstamp for figurines made of bone china and
it is omitted for those made of porcelain. Below are some
examples of Royal Doulton backstamps from different eras.
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How
Royal Doulton Figurines Are
Made: There are many people involved in the creation of each
Royal Doulton figurine, beginning with the artist who meticulously
transforms an image in his head, or a drawing of a figure on paper,
into a three-dimensional sculpture with modeling clay. The sculptor
creates the original clay model, paying meticulous attention to every
line and detail, as this will determine the shape of the finished
figure. Plaster of Paris production moulds are then made from
the original mould. Up to 60 separate moulds can be used to make
up one of the more complex figures. Liquid clay or slip is
poured into the moulds which, being porous, absorb moisture from the
slip to leave a coating of clay inside. When the various parts
are set, they are carefully removed from the moulds and assembled by
highly skilled figure-makers. Each Royal Doulton figure is
comprised of numerous parts. For example, the Pretty Lady
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figure
'My Best Friend' has 13 pieces added to the body. And,
the prestige model of St. George and the Dragon has over 40
parts. The models are assembled by using slip to fix each piece
individually to the main body. Every tiny seam is then removed
by being brushed and sponged away by hand. The figure is then
placed in the kiln for the first or 'biscuit' firing at a temperature
of 1250°F
for 9 hours. Every piece must be carefully positioned so it will
be fired at exactly the right temperature. As the moisture is
removed during this first firing, the figure shrinks by about 12
percent. After firing, the figure is dipped by hand into glaze
(liquid glass) which has the consistency of cream. It then
receives a second firing, at 1060°F
for 10 hours. This gives the figure a shiny appearance.
The figure is now ready for decoration. Several stages of
painting are required to achieve the required colors and shades.
Many different colors and up to five separate firings at 850°F
may be involved. Faces are painted with fine brushes and
delicate strokes, creating a character and expression unique to each
figure. The Royal Doulton backstamp is applied to the base of
the figure prior to the last firing.
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Bodies
and Glazes: The fair lady figures are made from bone china
which is a traditionally British body, composed of China clay, Cornish
stone and bone ash. Most character figures are made from English
Porcelain, a whiter colored body formerly known as English Translucent
China, which was pioneered by Royal Doulton chemists in 1959.
Before the invention of English Porcelain, many Doulton figures were
produced in an earthenware body, which is fired to a lower temperature
than china and is more porous. There are slight variations in
size between figures made of earthenware and those made of porcelain
and colors often look different on the two bodies. Most Royal
Doulton figures have a brilliant glossy glaze. In the early
1970s, however, some matte figures were produced and the matte finish
was also used for some limited edition subjects as it enhanced the
intricate modeling and gave a distinctive effect. A matte glazed
black basalt body has been used more recently in the Images range of
modern style sculpture.
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How
to Collect Royal Doulton
Figurines: There are numerous ways to collect Royal
Doulton figurines depending on the areas of interest and taste of the
collector. Royal Doulton offers a wide variety of styles and
subjects to choose from.
Collecting
by Artist: New collectors quickly gravitate towards a
particular style of figure and often discover that they favor the work
of a specific artist. In the early years, the artist was
acknowledged on the base of the figures and collectors could
appreciate the diverse modeling skills of artists such as Charles Noke,
Harry Tittensor and others. After a gap of many years, this
practice was revived in 1984 when the artist's facsimile signature was
incorporated in the backstamp, making identification an easy as it had
been previously. The work of each Doulton artist has a
distinctive quality, even though their figures might be classified
with many others as 'fair ladies' or 'character studies.' An
experienced eye can quickly spot the difference between a Peggy Davies
crinoline lady and one by Leslie Harradine. Similarly, Mary
Nicoll's nautical figures are quite distinct from Bill Harper's.
Each of these artists has a wide following and the scope for
collecting their work is often vast and varied, particularly in the
case of Peggy Davies, who produced about 250 figures in her 40 year
career with Royal Doulton. Grand Dezign offers a sizeable
collection of figurines by various Royal Doulton designers, such as:
Charles
Noke, Leslie
Harradine, (Margaret)
Peggy Davies,
Mary
Nicoll, Douglas
V. Tootle, Eric
Griffiths, William
K. Harper, Robert
Jefferson, Robert
Tabbenor, Peter
Gee, Pauline
Parsons, Adrian
Hughes, Nada
Pedley, Alan
Maslankowski
and Valerie
Annand.
Collecting
by Period: It has been said of Royal Doulton figures that
they are a reflection of the times in which they are made.
Certainly, with many of the subjects, it is possible to attribute them
to a particular period, based on costume, fabric designs and hair
styles. For the fashion conscious, it is possible to create a
cat-walk of costumes through the ages from the Medieval period to the
21st century. Some collectors focus exclusively on the styles of
the 18th century costumes which were notable for their wide hooped
skirts. Other prefer Victorian dresses with their flounced
skirts and frothy petticoats.
Collecting
by Subject: Royal Doulton figures can be collected and
displayed beautifully in groups of related subjects such as: Child
Studies, Pretty Ladies, Character Figures, Professions (such as Lawyer
or Blacksmith), Middle-Eastern Men, the World of Entertainment,
Ballet, Literature, Historical Figures, and many, many more . . .
Collecting
by Size: Royal Doulton has produced figurines in several
sizes. The M
Series (Miniatures),
represent a smaller version of some full size figurines. The
early M Series are about 3-4 inches in height. In 1988 Royal
Doulton revived the miniature series with figurines of 2 inches in
height. The average height of Royal Doulton lady figurines such
as the Pretty
Ladies, is
about 8 inches. Some Limited Edition figurines and Prestige
Figures are
made in larger sizes of 12, 14 or even 16 inches in height.
Collecting
by Series: Some collectors enjoy collecting the figurines in
series established by Royal Doulton with specific number of figurines
in the series, such as Kate
Greenaway Series,
Middle
Earth, Queens
of the Realm
or Figures
of Williamsburg.
Others may choose series such as Happy
Birthday, Figure
of the Year,
etc. Royal Doulton offers many series for various tastes.
Collecting
by Limited Edition, Prestige Figures and Special Editions:
For collectors seeking extra special pieces, Royal Doulton has offered
a collection of Prestige
Figures.
New additions to this collection are added by Royal Doulton from time
to time.
Collecting
Colourways and Variations: From the earliest days of the
figures collection, some of the most popular models have been produced
in alternative colourways, such as the Autumn
Breezes.
For a period of time, the colourways production became less common.
However, the idea was revived during the 1980s and many of the popular
Royal Doulton figures have since been produced in alternative color
variations.
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