Victorian Staffordshire Flatback Figure of a Man and His Dog

A Victorian Staffordshire flatback figure of a standing man with his spaniel at his side, hand painted in the bright colours that make these pieces so collectable. He wears a spotted smock, a plumed cap, and yellow topped boots, with an orange coat over one arm and a spade resting against the mound of green foliage behind him. The spaniel sits faithfully at his feet, russet and white with the moulded curls typical of Staffordshire dogs. Modelled flat at the back, it was made to stand on a mantel or shelf against the wall, exactly as it would have done in a Victorian parlour.

The figure measures 38 x 20 x 9 cm, a good commanding size for a flatback, and the painting is lively throughout, from the pink and blue of his cap to the black spots scattered across the smock. Pieces like this were made in the Staffordshire potteries through the nineteenth century as affordable ornaments celebrating rural life, sporting scenes, and popular characters of the day, and they have become some of the most loved of all antique ceramics.

We would give this one pride of place on a mantelpiece, or stand it on a stack of old books where its height can be enjoyed. It sits beautifully among other Staffordshire pieces, or on its own against a pale wall where the colours can sing. A dresser shelf, a hall table, or a bookcase all suit it, and it brings instant character and a touch of storytelling wherever it lands.

More than a century of parlour life leaves its traces, and small signs of age such as crazing, gilt wear, or a little paint loss are part of what marks a genuine period flatback from a later reproduction. This is a proper antique with real presence, ready for its next mantel.