The Vicar and Moses
Myrna Schkolne in Volume 2 of her book “Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840”, has Chapter 109 entitled Religious Officials and Observers. She makes the point that the Church of England clergy in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were high living at that time and were ready targets for ridicule. They were high living as many came from very wealthy families. The eldest son took the title and family estate whilst a younger son often became a priest or a vicar. As always the Staffordshire potter was quick to pick up on that.
There are in fact two pieces that are commonly referred to as The Vicar and Moses, but these pictures are of the piece which was modelled on William Hogarth’s illustration entitled the Sleeping Congregation, first published in 1736. It is also known as The Parson and Clerk. This piece portrays the parson dozing in the pulpit whilst the clerk earnestly addresses the congregation.
This particular model will be early nineteenth century. What is interesting about this particular piece is that it has no base (nor appears ever to have had a base) which allows the collector to see how the Parson and Clerk were made and fixed within the model of the pulpit.
This model is illustrated in Myrna Schkolne’s book ref fig109.8 page 258. The height is 8.9”.
Acknowledgement: Myrna Schkolne, Staffordshire Figures 1780-1840 Volume 2
This figure forms part of the private collection of Alan Sturrock.
More Figures of the month
Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnny
This is a rare pair of early figures of Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnny, characters in the Robert Burns play “Tam O’Shanter”, written in 1790.
A pair of giraffes
This is a fine pair of Staffordshire giraffes, seated below palm trees, each approximately 5 ½” tall. These figures are very rare, dating to approximately 1850.
Old Age
This is a fine pair of early Staffordshire figures portraying “Old Age”. They stand about 8 ¾” tall and date to about 1820.
A pair of pointers
This is a rare pair of Staffordshire foxhounds, pointers, or game dogs. Whatever one decides to call them, they are an unusual and very fine pair.
Reverand Edward Meyrick Goulburn
This is a rare Staffordshire figure of the Reverand Edward Goulburn, standing approximately 11 1/2” tall and dating to about 1860.
Richard Cobden
This is a rare Staffordshire figure of Richard Cobden, the English politician, economist, and leader of the effort to abolish the Corn Laws in 1846.
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