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Selling Royal Doulton Animals and Birds at Auction

Debbie Porter

We sell many different Royal Doulton animal and bird figurines at auction. Get in touch if you are looking for something in particular, or if you are looking to sell at auction.

Royal Doulton Animal and Bird Figurines are, arguably, some of the best-known and best-loved figurines produced by Royal Doulton. But what are your chances of a good price at auction? And do they make a good investment?

For over a century now Royal Doulton have produced over 1,000 figurines of domestic pets, farm animals, birds, wild animals, comical animal studies. The range of animal figurines include those by their talented designers over the last 100 years from George Tinworth’s mice and frogs, to Mark Marshall’s grotesques, pedigree racehorses, championship dogs, and other exquisite models. Legendary artists like Charles Noke, Leslie Harradine, Peggy Davies, Harry Simeon, Gilbert Baines, Alan Maslankowski, Graham Tongue and many more top designers have also contributed to the wide range of animal figurines that Royal Doulton have produced over the years.

A Royal Doulton Kingfisher rare bird figurine, sold for £130, and Lot 193 - A Royal Doulton Robin rare bird figurine, sold for £150 by Potteries Auctions

Lot 191 – A Royal Doulton Kingfisher rare bird figurine, sold for £130, and Lot 193 – A Royal Doulton Robin rare bird figurine, sold for £150. Both lots sold at our Rare 20th Century British Pottery & Antiques Auction back in November 2019.

The Royal Doulton studios at Lambeth – and in Burslem since the 1880s – have produced models with such life-like quality, with an attention to detail that is second-to-none. With no expense spared on the craftsmanship of the pieces, there is a sizable list of prestige figure painters who signed their models as artists would do. The artists managed to bring models to life in a series of sizes from large life-size models on the HN range to the miniature K series dogs and birds making the range highly collectable for all tastes.

Many models from the early 1900s were produced in the Flambe, Sung and Titanian glazes and these can sell for high prices when seen in the saleroom. Flambe was produced for Doulton animal and bird figurines until the early 2000s when the last range to be produced was the Burslem Artwares collection. Flambe had been produced until the factory in Nile street closed in 2005 and the last specialist Flambe kiln was dismantled, drawing a line under this particular style of glazing.

Lot 322 - A Royal Doulton Bulldog animal figurine, sold for £40, and Lot 323 – A Royal Doulton English Setter animal figurine, sold for £45 by Potteries Auctions

Lot 322 – A Royal Doulton Bulldog animal figurine, sold for £40, and Lot 323 – A Royal Doulton English Setter animal figurine, sold for £45. Both lots sold at out Auction of 20th Century British Pottery including Royal Doulton, Beswick, Militaria & Collectors items back in March 2014.

In 1979, Royal Doulton, who had previously purchased the Beswick Pottery factory in Longton in 1969, brought over Beswick models to the DA range. Beswick’s previous connoisseur ranges of racehorses, cattle, dogs and wild animals with wooden plinths, fireside large models of popular dog breeds, smaller cat models and a whole range of horses in various colours in matte and gloss glazes made up this initial range in the late 70s and early 80s.

The market for Royal Doulton animals and birds has changed over recent times with the earlier rarer more desirable models still fetching high prices in the saleroom whilst the miniature models and later pieces now much more affordable since the high collectable price boom of the 1990s, so an excellent time to be collecting.

Lot 189 - A Royal Doulton Baltimore Oriole rare bird figurine, sold for £40, and Lot 190 – A Royal Doulton Blue Bird rare bird figurine, sold for £45 by Potteries Auctions

Lot 189 – A Royal Doulton Baltimore Oriole rare bird model, sold for £40, and Lot 190 – A Royal Doulton Blue Bird rare bird model, sold for £45. Both lots sold at our Rare 20th Century British Pottery & Antiques Auction back in November 2019.

Selling Royal Daulton Animal Figurines at Auction

If you have Royal Daulton Animal Figurines you’re looking to sell, their pieces consistently perform well at auction and our staff is well-placed to provide valuations and advice on selling your items. Call 01782 638100 or emailenquiries@potteriesauctions.com to book a valuation appointment to attend one of our Tuesday valuation days. We also provide valuations via WhatsApp, simply send some clear photographs of your items via the app to 07864 667940. Additionally, we can send you links to our catalogues via WhatsApp–message the above number via the app and ask to receive our catalogues. Make sure you are subscribed to our email newsletters, too!