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Male Portraits in Porcelain (page under construction)
King David 1985
Sir Henry 1986
Buccaneer
Harlequin 1980
Pagliacci 1985
Court Jester 1978
Puck 1981
Mr. President 1987
George Washington Bust 1975
George Washington Bust 1975
Enamoured Prince Florimund 1973
Robin Hood 1964
Beau Brummell
Beau Brummell
King Solomon
Released 1987
King Solomon, companion to Queen of Sheba, was released as a limited edition restricted to 500 copies. The studio would later declare an additional 50 copies for distribution outside the continental U.S.
Issue / Completed Price
$2,695 $3,795 in 1999
Design number 5044
The marketing brochure from the Fall of 1987 is the only official photograph the studio released of King Solomon. The only notable difference between the prototype and production items is the position of his scepter. A bonding agent was used to attach the gold painted porcelain part to the body of the sculpture.
Measures 15 1/4"
No design variations are known to exist. Only very minor color variations (likely due to kiln conditions) have been noted.
Primary damage most often observed on King Solomon is to fingers on his extended right hand. The scepter is frequently found separated if not missing when the sculpture is offered on the secondary market. If the sculpture has no damage other than the scepter having become loose, this does not hurt the value. A small amount of common adhesive can be used to reattach the scepter to his hand and waist.
Liquid 24k gold paint was applied to his crown, necklace and scepter using Old Coin Gold accents. A few later pieces have been noted with a dull gold finish unlike the earlier pieces with the typical brilliant finish.
Hamlet
Released 1965
Hamlet was introduced as a limited edition restricted to 500. He was completed in 1974.
Issue / Completed Price
$350 $950
Design number 446
Measures 12" tall
Initially issued with a wood base, most have long since become separated and lost. It is rare to find a copy with the original accompanying base.
The marketing photo released in 1965 indicates there were no design variations to the production release.
Numerous color variations have been documented. While no design variations are noted, the original marketing photo indicates his tunic was considerably darker, as were his shoes, while his sash was much lighter. No copies have been found with a dark tunic which would imply the colors were changed prior to the edition's initial release.
The standard production item is shown above. The gold accents will vary from matte to glossy.
Perhaps Hamlet is such an iconic sculpture people handle him with greater reverence. It has been rare for a Hamlet to appear on the secondary market with damage.
Richard the Lionheart
Released 1982
Released as a limited edition restricted to 350 copies for U.S. distribution with 35 copies outside the U.S. added some time after 1986, Richard was completed after the year 2000.
Issue / Completed Price
$2,300 $4,975 (on the 1999 price list)
Design number 4077
Richard the Lionheart was issued as a companion sculpture to Berengaria (1979). He was the first male sculpture the studio issued depicting a member of secular royalty. This sculpture was captivating and would have likely sold out much sooner if it had not seen such hefty price increases. Also it is important to note this sculpture was assembled from three individual components. Richard, his sword and the chalice in his right hand were three separate pieces. The sword and chalice were attached using a bonding agent that separated easily. More than a few of these were damaged during the unpacking process after arriving at the receiving merchant's store. This issue certainly affected a merchant's future orders.
Measures 15" tall
A review of secondary market sales over the last 25 years indicates 50% of the Richard's offered had some form of damage. It is not uncommon for negligent handling to result in his sword or chalice becoming separated. Often his fingers get broken off at the same time. Numerous sculptures have been offered for sale missing either the sword or the chalice or both. If these items become separated without damaging any porcelain, they can be cautiously reattached using a small amount of clear adhesive. If done properly it does not affect the value but should be disclosed if selling the piece.
Production items found so far have no variations from the marketing photo above.
At least one color variation was created but likely never released to production. This unique piece sold at auction when the studio liquidated its remaining archives at auction in 2019.
While no design variations are apparent the obvious application of additional gold on the back of his royal robe is striking on the sage green background. This color combination would've been well received but would not have worked well pairing with Berengaria.
Clearly a bit more blingy, this color combo shows far more of the Old Coin Gold in the crown, chalice and on the sword.
Richard's official companion was Berengaria as stated previously. Both were sold separately. However, he also displays nicely with Queen Guinevere.
Othello
Released 1984
Othello was introduced as a limited edition restricted to 350 copies. The edition appears to have finally sold out and closed after 1999. The sculptured used in the marketing photo indicates the production model released had not design or color changes from the original presentation. No design variations have been noted among production items.
Issue / Completed Price
$2,650 $5,995 (on the 1999 price list)
Design number 4091
This sculpture is found with damage 50% of the time when offered on the secondary market. Out of 20 documented sales reviewed, 10 had damage to the three feathers on top of his turban. These feathers were either missing or the seller stated they had been repaired. It's easy for these to become damaged during packing, shipping and unpacking as they are extremely fragile. Because of Othello's height, it is also easy to bump his head on the glass shelf above when placing him inside or removing him from a display cabinet. The sword is also found with the tip broken off due to negligent handling. The blue rope piping on his cape has also been seen broken off and missing in sections. These are all areas a potential buyer should carefully check prior to purchasing.
Measures 15" tall
Offered as a companion to Desdemona (1982), Othello was sold separately. Her edition of 500 copies sold out in 1984, the year of his release. The two were never offered as a set with any discount pricing the way later couples were priced.
Othello was well designed as he stands securely on three points of contact without the threat of tipping over. Unlike other sculptures (such as Carmen and King Arthur) which easily fall forward. Othello's weight was balanced to prevent falling.
The backside of Othello's cape is intricately decorated with 24k gold.
Othello's scabbard (for his sword) extends well below his boot, nearly to his ankle. While not quickly noticed, the lower section is periodically found broken off just below the top of his boot.
While minor variations have been noted in feather placement and rope piping these are attributed to individual artist's styling and not considered design variations.
Color variations have been found with a blue cape and red piping. A few of the standard color versions also have a unibrow as the blue cape variation above.
Skin tones were mostly consistent from one sculpture to the next. However a few copies have been noted with more Caucasian tones while a few copies have had far darker tones. This is attributed to individual artist's style as each decorator was responsible for mixing his/her own paint used on a daily basis.
Folk Singer
Released 1967
Introduced as a limited edition restricted to 500 the Folk Singer was closed early with a final issue of 283 copies. The edition was completed in 1974.
Issue / Completed Price
$300 $650
Design number 449
It is not know why the Folk Singer's edition was so abruptly reduced to slightly over half. It is possible lagging sales were responsible as this piece surely has limited appeal. It is also possible there were production problems as many items have been sold on the secondary market with the drums detached and a few with the guitar loose.
Measures 13" tall
Measures 13" tall
Originally issued with an accompanying wooden base, the sculpture measures 12 1/4". Measurements given in the studio's publications include the base as part of the overall height. Most bases have long since become separated and lost. A piece with its original base is worth a premium.
Measures 13" tall
The drums attached to the back of his stool have been seen detached and even missing on copies offered for sale on the secondary market. Anyone handling this sculpture should take extra care when setting it down. Be certain to hold him perfectly level when slowly lowering him to any surface. This avoids allowing the drums to make contact first as this can break them off when too much force is applied from the weight of the sculpture coming to rest on the drums first.
While no design variations have been found two color variations are common. He is most often found with blue pants but copies with yellow pants and dark sandals aren't hard to find. The variations were an ongoing release throughout production as both are reflected in the edition from numbers 1 to 283.
Color variations have also been noted on the Folk Singer's guitar. The majority of sculptures observed have only slight differences in shades of brown. However, some obvious differences have been noted on the bridge, saddle, neck and body.
The guitar was attached with slip and fired creating a single piece of porcelain. This is unlike later pieces where various bonding agents were used to attach parts that presented production issues with high loss rates inside the kiln. To obtain the perfect position of his hands and the guitar was a meticulous process of carefully monitoring this sculpture during the firing process. This surely added to the decision to reduce the edition size and close it early.
