An Equine Quiz

Kelvin and Dorothea Gillett

June 2022

Equestrian figures are very popular with Staffordshire collectors. Kelvin and Dorothea Gillett challenge you to have a go at identifying these figures from their horses!

Look closely for clues! Scroll down to reveal the full figures, answers and your expert rating…

How well did you do? See below!

Answers

Analyse your score

11 to 9: Galloped to the finish
8 to 6: Lost speed over the last hurdle
5 to 3: Need to improve over the jumps
2 to 1: Unsteady, falling off at the first bend

Thanks for having a try!

Kelvin and Dorothea Gillett have been collecting Staffordshire figures for over 45 years, previously owning an antiques shop in Chester, England.

“Twelve days of Staffordshire Christmas”

Sarah Gillett

In December 2024, Sarah Gillett re-imagines the English carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” through Staffordshire figures. Variations of the folk song have circulated around the world since the late 1700s, including bulls a-baiting, bulls a-roaring, ships a-sailing, hares a-running, men a-mowing, cocks a-crowing and bells a-ringing, but this version is based on Frederic Austin’s 1909 arrangement.

Death of Munrow, sold at Sotheby's in November 2023 for £30,480 plus taxes and buyer's premium

The tiger who came to tea

Alan Jamieson

In honour of World Tiger Day, Alan Jamieson reminds us of the ferocious nature of big cats and the macabre allure of the Staffordshire figure ‘The Death of Munrow’, inspired by a fatal tiger attack in 1792.

Who is Pugh?

Alan Jamieson

Gordon Pugh is the man who everyone turns to first when investigating the provenance of a Staffordshire portrait figure. “Is it in Pugh?” tends to be the first question. If the answer is ‘Yes, Pugh has it’ the inquisitor breathes a sigh of relief. ‘No’ means there’s doubt and disappointment.

So who is this Pugh person who dominates collectors’ lives? Alan Jamieson bravely steps into the role of investigator to find out.

Christ Crucified!

Stephen Duckworth

At Easter, Stephen Duckworth reveals some early pieces of Staffordshire from his collection, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus and celebrating his supernatural resurrection from the dead.

Dandies and dandizettes: dressed to impress

Win and Pat Hock

In 1836, Scottish philosopher and writer Thomas Carlyle wrote: “A dandy is a clothes-wearing Man, a Man whose trade, office and existence consists in the wearing of Clothes. Every faculty of his soul, spirit, purse, and person is heroically consecrated to this one object, the wearing of Clothes wisely and well: so that the others dress to live, he lives to dress.” Win and Pat Hock celebrate these most stylish of Staffordshire figures.

Look back on our figures of the month

Every month since 2015 we have chosen a Staffordshire figure to feature – it may be unusual, rare, have an interesting story, or might just be one of our favourites.

We warmly welcome new members – join us for free!

Wherever you are in the world, whether you are an experienced collector, a researcher interested in the folk art of England, or just someone who is intrigued by Staffordshire figures, please join us and get the rest of this year for free! Stay with us next year and pay an annual fee of £45 / $50 per household in January.