Figurine (Antique Bone China Query): Coalport Figure in Bone China by Elisabeth Woodhouse
by Jackie
Figurine Coalport Bone China - Antique China Query- Alexandra At The Ball
Figurine (Antique Bone China Query): - Coalport Figure in Bone China by Elisabeth Woodhouse:- Some years ago I bought a piece of Coalport china. Her name is Alexandra at the ball, designed by Elisabeth Woodhouse. It was a limit edition figurine of 12,500, her no. being 8575.
Reply by Peter (admin) Dear Jackie Many thanks for your query about your Elisabeth Woodhouse figurine - "Alexandra at the Ball", designed by Elisabeth Woodhouse. Just to give you some background information (putting the pieces together as I understand it), Elisabeth Woodhouse, after a career of designing figurines for the major UK bone china factories, founded the famous design house and off-the-page retailer Compton and Woodhouse. I have been closely associated with this company since the mid 1990's, well after Elisabeth Woodhouse had sold the company and moved on, so I didn't have the pleasure of meeting her. Before reading your email, I had not been aware that there were figurines which were marked as being designed by her (I was aware of her legacy as a business woman, not as a designer of figurines). You learn something everyday! In the 1980's, she teamed up with a couple of direct mail and advertising specialists (Mr Compton and Rinalda Dimitrieau) and together they formed the very successful company which today still dominates bone china figurine production in the UK today. I worked very closely with Rinalda Dimitrieau - C.E.O of Compton and Woodhouse - until her retirement earlier this year. One interesting word-of-mouth story I heard about the birth of Compton and Woodhouse all those years ago (from someone who was around then and still works for the company) was how the 'direct mail' concept for selling figurines was thought up and investigated by giants Royal Doulton. They spent a lot of time, money and effort setting up a new direct mail operation. They took many orders and the new division looked like being a total success. However, by the nature of the business, there is a long delay between the initial research, manufacture and the final payment by customers (which is on installments). There then came a new C.E.O. of Royal Doulton who shall remain nameless, who was puffed up with the objective of cutting costs and 'rationalizing'. He took a look at the numbers for the new off-page figurines division (without accounting for the fact that the income had not begun to come in and all the up-front cost had been paid out) and immediately closed the section down. All the people involved, led by Elisabeth Woodhouse, just formed a new company (Compton & Woodhouse) and said "We will take the money, and thanks for paying all our upfront costs for us!" So began the great firm of Compton & Woodhouse to whom I owe a lot! Compton and Woodhouse figurines today represent the major client for all the big three manufacturers Royal Worcester, Coalport and Royal Doulton. The off-page sales of figurines (IE not in shops and stores, but from the back of magazines to a faithful collectors list) has grown ever more important with the advent of less and less retail space within china and glass shops and department stores for figurines. I have checked online by using specialist searches, and now found a small handful of other figurines marked as designed by Elisabeth Woodhouse - not particularly highly valued by the sellers, it seems. There is a very healthy secondary market for figurines on eBay (some of mine now have a starting price of over £500). I would recommend investigating this method and other online auction opportunities if you want to sell the figure. Here's a formula for searching which you and other visitors reading this can follow: First, put a specially coded search into Google which will find any pages showing Elisabeth Woodhouse figurines. Put in this keyword search term (include the quotes and plus sign): "Elisabeth Woodhouse" + figurine From this I found out that your figurine is from the "Golden Age" series. I then tried the following search: Coalport + "Elizabeth Woodhouse" + "Golden Age" series + "Alexandra at the Ball" From this search, I found your figurine on sale at a buy-it-now price of £27.00 GBS in the Hong Kong version of ebay! It's gone now, but here is how the figurine was described: "This is a limited-edition porcelain figurine entitled, "Alexandra at the Ball", made by Coalport in their Golden Age series in the late 1980s. Measuring 8.5" in height, it is a beautifully dressed Edwardian lady in a gown of palest yellow, brown and cream. It bears the 'Coalport Golden Age' mark on the base, together with the signature of the designer, Elizabeth Woodhouse, and information that it is a numbered limited edition figure of 12,500, of which this is number 9,309. It is in very good condition with no chips, no cracks, no restoration, and it is offered at a starting price of £10." So now you can use this information to check out your local eBay market. How? Go to my own page called:- China Replacement Follow the instructions and the link on how to go to a 'deep level' eBay search. Put in the search term: Elisabeth Woodhouse Figurine (no quotemarks this time) Tick the box which says "search title and description". You could also try: Golden Age figurine Coalport You will see there are only a small handful of Elisabeth Woodhouse Figurines, but very many Compton and Woodhouse ones. In my book, this makes your figurine quite rare, and also allowing for what an important character Elisabeth Woodhouse is in the modern history of figurine manufacturing, I think you should hold out for a good price (giving the reasons stated above). Often a seller on eBay with a very good presentation (description and photos) can get a premium price, whereas power sellers with a more slapdash approach might miss a gem which could fetch a good price. If you sell on eBay, be sure to make your case (for rarity and interest - on both counts your figurine scores) and spark a collectors interest. It is one thing to have a fairly large edition of a figurine - my own "Princess Tara" by Royal Worcester is an edition of 7500. However, try to get hold of a "Princess Tara" (sculpted in 1998) which sold out in double quick time, and you would have a very hard job. All this puts a premium onto a figurine in the eBay marketplace which is buzzing with keen, knowledgeable and enthusiastic collectors of figurines. A professional appraisal of your figurine would also help if you are serious about selling it. An appraiser can provide you with a proper antiquarian appraisal certificate, important to ebay buyers who obviously won't get to see the wares 'in the flesh' before they buy. Use my page here www.figurines-sculpture.com/antique-china-values.html to get in touch with a bona fide appraiser checked out personally by me. You won't be charged any money upfront to use this service. If you do opt for the ebay approach, please feel free to quote any of my words, as long as you give a link back to my website. Collectors love stories and provenance. Hope this helps. Please let us know how you get on! Best regards, Peter (admin) www.figurinecollect.com (These pages show our new English made bone china figurine collection) www.figurines-sculpture.com (This is my bigger site covering all aspects of fine china making)  IDENTIFYING POTTERY MARKS ....more CHINA PATTERN IDENTIFICATION ....more HOW I BUILT THIS WEBSITE ....more
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