It wouldn’t have been an uncommon sight to see an entire curio cabinet stuffed to the brim with Staffordshire dogs!īut funnily enough, while an authentic pair of Staffordshire dogs can fetch (pun intended) several hundred if not thousands of dollars at auction today, these charming figurines were originally sold at markets or fairs for relatively cheap prices. These puppies were popular collectors’ items in their heyday, and many people acquired them by the dozens. Staffordshire was a hotbed for ceramic production in the 18th and 19th centuries due to an abundance of local clay and coal, and there are many other types of “Staffordshire figurines” besides dogs.Īnd while they were sold in pairs, you’d be pressed to find a home with only one set of Staffordshire dogs. Staffordshire dogs (also sometimes called Wally dogs, pot dogs, and china dogs) get their name from the area where they were originally produced-Staffordshire, England. Popular variations included pugs, greyhounds, poodles, dalmatians, and-the contemporary fan favorite-King Charles Spaniels. Staffordshire dogs always came as a pair and took the forms of various pedigree dog breeds posed sitting at attention or standing guard. Here’s where it gets a bit more interesting. The figurines were produced roughly from 1720 to 1900 (but were most popular towards the end of the 19th century). Ranging from about 4 to 12 inches high, they were small decorative objects that adorned fireplace mantels and windowsills in Victorian homes. Staffordshire dogs are small, earthenware figurines that were popular in the Victorian era. So, what the heck are Staffordshire dogs anyway?įirst things first. What follows is the story (as best I can tell it) of why Staffordshire dogs were so popular and what they meant to the people who collected them. So I’ve done my best to piece it together myself.
#VICTORIAN FIRE DOGS HOW TO#
I’ve combed through many a website describing how Staffordshire dogs were made and how to tell a real from a fake, but I’ve yet to find a satisfying answer to what fueled the Victorian era’s obsession with them. So when I found out that Staffordshire dogs were originally from the 1800s and that they were insanely popular at the time, I had to know more. She’s trying to play it cool but also can’t quite remember what it was that she did in the first place… What originally struck me about these little figures, was how they perfectly captured the anxious expression of a good dog who knows she’s done something bad. I’ve been obsessed with Staffordshire dogs for the past 3 years (finally acquiring my own pair from my grandmother for Christmas in 2020-thanks grandma Carol!). Even in the 1920s, when they fell out of fashion as popular collectibles, they still managed to be so uncool that they were somehow cool again. If you give a Victorian a Staffordshire dog, they’ll need 10 more pairs to go with it.Įqual parts amusing, adorable, and odd, Staffordshire dogs are the quintessential Victorian decoration that never went out of style.
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