You either love ’em or hate ’em

WHETHER peering out from a crowded dresser or sitting proudly at each end of a chimneypiece, Staffordshire figures have long been a part of English interiors. The most ubiquitous examples are the china dogs—solemn, upright King Charles spaniels from the reign of Queen Victoria—but they span a much wider period and an extraordinary breadth of subjects, from exotic animals to pastoral scenes and legions of long-forgotten celebrities. Despite their different forms and being made by a number of potteries, they’re curiously easy to spot. Their gaudy appearance, the lively expressions on both people and animals and their simple, earthenware shapes make them instantly identifiable.

In Marmite fashion, Staffordshire figures tend to divide opinions quite strongly—few people view them with ambivalence. Their popularity rises and falls, largely dependent on decorative trends. Minimalists, unsurprisingly, tend to loathe them—they