Melting bidders' hearts in a snow-covered Dorchester, this rare Doulton figure of a little girl cradling a doll proved the star attraction at Duke's sale on February 5-6.
Estimated at £800-1500, the HN number names the figure as
Little Mother. However, with the base marked
Dolly, this suggests that the name had yet to be decided
upon at the time it was made.
It seems that the figure designed by Harry Tittensor was an
early prototype for a limited production run between 1921 and
1938.
Prototypes and rare colourways remain the most buoyant sector of
the Doulton figure market, and this piece was no exception.
With auctioneer Guy Schwinge claiming that the Dorchester
saleroom saw its best attendance for some time as bidders hoped
their rivals would be deterred or hindered by the snow, it easily
soared over estimate and was finally knocked down to a US buyer at
£10,500.
The buyer's premium was 19.5 per cent.
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