In almost every house I visit I always see the delightful Beswick Pottery model animals taking pride of place in a display cabinet or on the mantle piece.

This week I have seen not one but two large collections of Beswick animals. The most comprehensive was from a lady who came along to our weekly Antiques Valuation day which this week was held at West Bretton near Wakefield. She was clearing her grandfather’s farm house and he had collected a wide range of farm animals from horses, pigs, donkeys etc which are now going to be sold in our next sale of Antiques and Collectables.

The Beswick Pottery was founded in 1894 in Staffordshire by John Beswick and his father James Wright Beswick.  It began life manufacturing the usual array of earthenware and bone china vases and tableware but by the turn of the century had ventured into animal models. These models were a huge success, and undoubtedly what Beswick is best known for today, and by 1930 had moved from a sideline to a major part of Beswick pottery productions.

Arthur Gredington is probably the modeller who had the most influence over the animal ranges produced by Beswick as he was chief modeller designing most of them from 1939 to 1957.  There is a huge selection of animals available including birds, dogs, cats and a whole host of farmyard beasts with some being more popular and valuable to collectors.  Horses are a particular favourite as are the cows and bulls; especially the larger, more impressive variations. Due to the huge variety of models available, collectors do tend to concentrate their collections on a particular animal.

In 1948 Beswick introduced a range of models of characters from the books by Beatrix Potter. The earlier and rarer examples bearing a gold back stamp. These were a huge success and are sought after today especially the more obscure and therefore rarer models. A few years later in 1952 Beswick launched a range of Disney characters these  are again very collectable today.

Some models were only made for a short time and therefore more desirable today, for example the Galloway Bull which was made from 1963 to 1969.  He is available in all black, black with a central white belt and fawn and brown, with the all black version considered the most valuable by collectors and can fetch several hundred pounds at auction. This happens with many of the models; they are produced in very similar forms and one particular variation will be the most desirable. 

The animals were produced with both matt and gloss glazes and as a general, but not exclusive, rule the matt is more highly valued. Beswick was eventually sold to Royal Doulton in 1969 but animals marked ‘Beswick’ continued to be made until 1989.

Here at Sheffield Auction Gallery we sell a whole range of Beswick animal models in our fortnightly sales of Antiques and Collectables so do come down and take a look and perhaps start a collection of your own.