STAFFORDSHIRE figures are among the best known of all pottery, and though most examples were rather crudely made and decorated, they proved very popular with the buying public when first produced and that popularity has continued with collectors today.

Until the 1840s, these figures were largely hand made, using a series of moulds, but new pottery techniques meant that from the early Victorian period onwards, the figures could be turned out much more quickly and cheaply, and with a flat undecorated back. As these figures were designed to stand on the mantelpiece, the backs were never seen, so the manufacturers felt there was little point in decorating them!

I have written about Staffordshire figures in the past, and there is no doubt from the letters I get that the most common examples people enquire about are Staffordshire dogs, so I am devoting this column exclusively to them.

Staffordshire dogs varied slightly in design, but essentially looked very much like the ones illustrating this article. They started to be made in this form in the late 1830s, soon after Queen Victoria had come to the throne. They were made by a variety of manufacturers, and there are literally hundreds of different designs, all at a glance looking very much the same, but with subtle differences.

It's said that the standard design was based on a pet King Charles Spaniel called Dash, who belonged to Queen Victoria herself. The dogs were made in pairs, made to face each other across a mantelpiece, but over the years many dogs have disappeared, one perhaps being broken, or maybe given to someone else in the family. While a single dog has a value of perhaps £70 to £100 in most cases, a pair will normally be worth at least two to three times this sum.

Prices do vary for these dogs. For instance, collectors prefer dogs with red and white markings rather than those in black and white, and black and white dogs are more popular than those that are painted in just white or gold! Dogs in the sitting position are more common so those that are standing up attract premium prices. And dogs with inset glass eyes were always thought to more rare, yet these are the later examples, made from about 1880 onwards, so they do not have a greater value.

While genuine Victorian pairs of Staffordshire dogs will mostly be in the £300 to £500 price category, it is important to bear in mind that there are many reproductions on the market, as the popularity of these creatures has been such that they have been continuously manufactured -- you can still buy new replicas today.

As the design remains the same, it is often only the shiny glaze or lack of wear on the base which indicates it's a more modern figure, so if you are paying any significant sum for a pair of these dogs, it's worth buying from a reputable source and getting a detailed receipt.