Male Spanish Dancer: C.45-1930

Titles

Male Spanish Dancer

Maker(s)

Potter: Wood, Ralph, II (Probably)
Potter: Wood, Ralph, III (Perhaps)

Entities

• Figure

Categories

• Lead-glazed earthenware
• Coloured glazed figures

Description

Earthenware figure of a man holding castanets decorated with coloured glazes

Cream earthenware, press-moulded, and decorated with clear blue-tinted, and pale shades of green, yellow, and greyish- brown, dark brown, and lead-glazes, and two spots of blue glaze for the eyes. The figure is supported on a straight-sided square base which is hollow underneath and has a central diamond-shaped ventilation hole. The man stands on a low grassy mound in front of a tree trunk which serves as a support. He steps forward on his left leg, and holds out both hands grasping castanets. His head is tilted back slightly. He wears a broad-brimmed black hat with traces of gilding round the edge, a white open-necked shirt, a brown coat with yellow sleeves, a green waistcoat, yellow breeches with scalloped lower edges to the legs, and dark brown boots.

Notes

History note: Stoner & Evans, London

Legal notes

Bought with the Glaisher Fund

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (1930-11-14) by Stoner & Evans

Dating

18th Century, Late
George III
Circa 1787 CE - Circa 1800 CE

Note

This Spanish dancer has a female companion, C.46-1930. They were made by either Ralph Wood II or his son Ralph Wood III. The models were in production by 1787 when John Wood's sales ledger records on 25 January that he had bought from his brother Ralph '1 pr Spanish figures suppose dancing' for 3 shillings. as part of an order for Andrew Barr. Marked examples probably date from 1789 -1801 when Ralph, and after his death in 1795, his son, were working at the Hill Pottery in Burslem.