Mr Pickwick
Figurine
ca.1920 (made)
ca.1920 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Samuel Pickwick was the genial central figure of Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers. The novel, first published in part form between 1836 and 1837, concerns a club set up by Pickwick and his friends Tupman, Snodgrass and Winkle. This figurine was first issued in 1923 by Royal Doulton, and its production continued until 1939.
Royal Doulton began in Lambeth, London, in 1815 when John Doulton manufactured ceramic items such as stoneware bottles and sewer pipes. The Victorian revolution in hygiene and sanitation ensured its success, and Doulton later produced tableware and commemorative items. The firm expanded in 1882, purchasing a factory in Burslem in the Staffordshire Potteries area, and adding porcelain to its production two years later. It was granted a Royal Warrant in 1901. The Lambeth factory closed in 1956.
The Pickwick figurine has the number HN556 on its base. HN numbers were added to Royal Doulton wares from 1913. The initals stood for Harry Nixon, the artist and designer who was head of the firm's painting department. The figure was modelled by Leslie Harradine.
Royal Doulton began in Lambeth, London, in 1815 when John Doulton manufactured ceramic items such as stoneware bottles and sewer pipes. The Victorian revolution in hygiene and sanitation ensured its success, and Doulton later produced tableware and commemorative items. The firm expanded in 1882, purchasing a factory in Burslem in the Staffordshire Potteries area, and adding porcelain to its production two years later. It was granted a Royal Warrant in 1901. The Lambeth factory closed in 1956.
The Pickwick figurine has the number HN556 on its base. HN numbers were added to Royal Doulton wares from 1913. The initals stood for Harry Nixon, the artist and designer who was head of the firm's painting department. The figure was modelled by Leslie Harradine.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mr Pickwick (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed porcelain |
| Brief description | Figurine of Mr Pickwick, the character from Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers, first published serially 1836-1837. Royal Doulton, ca.1920 |
| Physical description | Glazed ceramic figurine of Mr Pickwick, leaning forwards, head to his left, right hand holding his black hat, his right arm bent to his waist; he holds his monocle chain in his left hand and his left arm is across his chest. He wears a four-buttoned blue tail-coat jacket, a cream waistcoat with black buttons, a white cravat, tight-fitting cream breeches and black boots. He is standing on an irregularly shaped brown base with a small green bush behind him. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Richard Vincent Hughes Bequest |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | Samuel Pickwick was the genial central figure of Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers. The novel, first published in part form between 1836 and 1837, concerns a club set up by Pickwick and his friends Tupman, Snodgrass and Winkle. This figurine was first issued in 1923 by Royal Doulton, and its production continued until 1939. Royal Doulton began in Lambeth, London, in 1815 when John Doulton manufactured ceramic items such as stoneware bottles and sewer pipes. The Victorian revolution in hygiene and sanitation ensured its success, and Doulton later produced tableware and commemorative items. The firm expanded in 1882, purchasing a factory in Burslem in the Staffordshire Potteries area, and adding porcelain to its production two years later. It was granted a Royal Warrant in 1901. The Lambeth factory closed in 1956. The Pickwick figurine has the number HN556 on its base. HN numbers were added to Royal Doulton wares from 1913. The initals stood for Harry Nixon, the artist and designer who was head of the firm's painting department. The figure was modelled by Leslie Harradine. |
| Bibliographic reference | Royal Doulton Figures Produced at Burslem c.1890-1978 by Desmond Eyles and Richard Dennis |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.313-1981 |
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| Record created | September 21, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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