Pair of Vintage Black Spaniel Figures in Glossy Black with Gilt Collars

Mantelpiece spaniels are one of the oldest ideas in English decorating. The Staffordshire potteries were turning out seated pairs by the 1840s, and every generation since has made its own version. This pair belongs to the middle of the twentieth century, when the pose loosened up and the dogs started to look less like heraldic emblems and more like the cocker spaniel asleep by the fire.

They sit facing each other, as a true pair should, with long feathered ears, soft jowls and a coat modelled in deep swirling strokes that catch the light across their backs. Each wears a gilt collar with a bow at the throat, painted on by hand so the two do not quite match, which is the tell of work done by a person rather than a machine. Their eyes are picked out in a paler tone that gives them a slightly anxious, hopeful look. Anyone who has owned a spaniel will recognise it.

They stand at 17 cm, both around 8 cm deep, and we think they date from the 1950s or 1960s.

They were made for a mantelpiece and that is still where they look best, one at each end with a clock or a jug between them. We also like them on a windowsill in a hallway, where they greet visitors, or flanking a stack of books on a shelf. In a child's room they become characters within the hour.

Condition is honest and shows their age. The black finish is glossy overall with wear to the high points, most visibly on the nose of one dog where the pale body shows through, and a small patch of wear on the rear haunch of the other. The gilt on the collars has rubbed in places but no cracks or chips.

Sold as a pair, because separating them would be unkind!