Louise Irvine, the renowned Royal Doulton expert and author

Pascoe & Company
1871 NW North River Drive
Miami, FL 33125
Call your Pascoe Sales Advisor to
add these pieces to your collection.
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Flambé Variations in Character Jugs
Royal Doulton collectors are fascinated by the blue and white jugs which
come on to the market from time to time. They are sometimes described as
Louise Irvine, the renowned Royal
Doulton expert and author, highlights
treasures from the Pascoe & Company
Collection.
‘Blue Flambé’ which is confusing as flambé is essentially red. However,
before pieces go through the flambé process they are usually painted
under the glaze with cobalt blue to define some of the features. In the
case of the flambé character jugs, the eyes, hair and costume details are
colored blue and show through the flambé glaze after firing. The blue and
white jugs represent an early stage in the flambé decorating process and
they were not produced for sale in this form. They have ‘escaped’ from
the Royal Doulton factory before completion and the backstamps are not
numbered as required for the finished limited edition piece. Blue and
white jugs are rare and very desirable so collectors can expect to pay a
premium for these pieces.
Wizard character jug in pre-flambé blue and white. Height: 6.25 inches.
Mikado D7258 • A. Hughes-Lubeck
H. 6 in.
Mikado in Blue and White
Samurai Warrior in Blue and White
Samurai Warrior D7257
A. Hughes-Lubeck H. 6 in.
Mikado in Flambé D7254
Samurai Warrior in Flambé D7255
Royal Doulton first began producing flambé character jugs in 1994. David
Biggs modeled Aladdin’s Genie especially for the flambé glaze and his
sketch is on the back cover. It was never produced in a colored decoration
but some blue and white versions have come to light over the years. Robert
Tabbenor modeled the next two flambé jugs depicting suitably exotic
characters, Confucius and The Pharaoh. Some blue and white jugs of these
characters have been recorded as well as a unique fully colored prototype
of The Pharaoh. After a gap of ten years, flambé character jugs were
revived in 2005 following a commission from Direct Ceramics.
Witch & Mikado flambé jugs at blue & white stage at the Royal Doulton Factory, 2006
Witch in Blue and White
Witch in Flambé D7239
Wizard in Blue and White
Wizard in Flambé D7240
Two existing models, the Witch and the Wizard by Stan Taylor, were redecorated in flambé glazes and were issued in flambé limited editions
of just 250. Just like the earlier flambé jugs, a few blue and white
versions entered the market-place and were enthusiastically acquired by
collectors. In 2006, two new Oriental models were created for flambé
and colored glazes by Amanda Hughes-Lubeck. Both versions of the
Mikado and the Samurai Warrior were distributed by Direct Ceramics in
very small editions of 250 each. Even more elusive are the blue and
white versions which have appeared on the market very occasionally.
Royal Doulton Character Jug Book available from Pascoe & Company
Wizard D6862 • S.J. Taylor H. 6.75 in.
Witch D6893 • S.J. Taylor H. 7 in.
Aladdin’s Genie original drawing
by David Biggs
Aladdin’s Genie D6971, Confucius D7003, The Pharaoh D7028 Height: 7-8 in.
Other flambé character jugs have been considered over the years but
have not gone into production. For example, Royal Doulton received a
commission for a flambé version of the Snake Charmer but only prototypes
were produced. Several flambé pieces, including character jugs, were in
Confucius Blue & White and Flambé
production during a visit to the Royal Doulton factory at their new
Barlaston location in 2006 but not long afterwards the flambé department
was closed.
Flambé is the French word for 'flamed', and the lustrous red glaze was
inspired by Chinese porcelain. Royal Doulton artists and chemists
Pharaoh Blue & White and Flambé
experimented for several years to reproduce the flambé glaze, which was
launched at the St. Louis Exhibition of 1904 to great critical acclaim. The
precise production process for flambé wares was always a closely
guarded secret but essentially it was produced by firing a copper glaze in
a reducing atmosphere that removes oxygen from the glaze. For the first
90 years, Royal Doulton used the decorating technique for vases, figures
and animal models. Only seven character jugs went into production with
the flambé glaze so collectors can easily complete the set. However, the
blue and white ‘pre-flambé jugs are very challenging to find so contact
Pharaoh Prototype Colorway
your Pascoe Sales Advisor now for details of the models now available.