This is a great item for popping on top of the mantlepiece of an antique fireplace in a Victorian interior. The flatback figurine is designed to be seen set against a wall - the front is decorated but the back is left plain as you would not see this when it is on show.
This is a genuine 19th Century Victorian example, It looks just lovely on display - it is full of rustic charm. The colours are detailing are typical of these rural figurines which were produced in the 1870s.
Everyday rural life was a popular subject at this time. They were made - not for more wealthy collectors of fine porcelain models - but for display in farmhouses and field worker's cottage. The subject produced were often subjects which reflected their own lifestyle. They capture a way of rural life - which was common in the 19th and early 20th centuries - but now has almost gone.
The figurine is of a diminutive size - and is a more unusual one. It is more of a little tableau that shows a man playing the guitar and a woman dancing to the music. They are located under tree trunk which forms a natural archway. There is textured bocage on the tree and on the ground in front of the couple. Below, is a built arch - which forms a little bridge over a stream - a little swan paddles in the water.
It dates to the later 19th century - and like all my Staffordshire figurines listed in my Iconic Edinburgh online shop, it is a genuine antique piece and NOT a modern reproduction.
Dimensions:- it is 7 1/4 inches in height and 4 3/4 inches wide - with a depth of 2 1/4 inches.
Unpacked it is 500 grams. It has no damages or restorations.