NEW YORK – Staffordshire pottery is beloved by collectors far beyond the shores of its native England. While potters in the Staffordshire region made many types of human and animal ceramic figures, perhaps none are more recognizable than their Victorian-era depictions of Cavalier King Charles spaniels (aka Staffordshire spaniels). They are also sometimes referred to as “hearth” or “mantel” spaniels, since they typically were displayed on fireplace mantels at the height of their popularity, circa 1840s-1890s. After the turn of the 20th century, their production quality seemed to decline, as did the number of collectors buying them, but they have never fallen out of favor.
