English and European Ceramics and Glass - 18th October 2017
Lot 1295
A Staffordshire figure group of the Alphington Ponies c.1845
Estimate £100 - £200 | Hammer £200
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Description
A Staffordshire figure group of the Alphington Ponies c.1845, the two sisters modelled standing with arms linked, wearing their characteristic checked jackets and holding green parasols, the base titled in gilt 'A Present from Torquay', 12cm.
The Misses Durnford moved from Alphington to Torquay with their mother and became locally notorious for promenading around the town identically dressed in outlandish costume and heavily made up. Cf. Sabine Baring-Gould, Devon Characters and Strange Events, for a lengthy description of the sisters and their curious habits.