Royal Doulton Bread & Butter Plates

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — In the world of Royal Doulton character jug collecting, the prototypes or trial pieces are ‘holy grail’ items. These are the jugs that were made in the factory in Burslem, Staffordshire, England as experiments and — for reasons of cost, design or an unhappy subject — never entered general production. Most survive […]

NEW YORK — In 1934, Royal Doulton introduced its whimsical Bunnykins tableware and ceramic figures designed for the nursery. They were based on illustrations by Barbara Vernon Bailey (later known as Sister Mary Barbara Bailey), whose father was a Royal Doulton manager at the time. While she lacked formal training in art, Bailey had always […]

NEW YORK — The classical image of a medieval court jester is a lithe figure wearing a bi-colored hat known as a cap ‘n’ bells and a colorful top over form-fitting breeches. While the Oxford English Dictionary defines motley as a medley, the term is also the name of the jester’s traditional costume made from […]