March, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



103 



good and clear as in the a chair, holding a pitcher of 



china jugs. Two of these foaming ale in one hand. 



are in the Atkinson collec- He wears a cocked hat, 



tion at Salem, Massachu- with rosette on the left side, 



setts, while another well- a wig of flowing curls reach- 

 known Toby of this make is ing to his shoulders. He 



carefully treasured in a col- shows a jovial face and 



lection at New Orleans, La. double chin, and is dressed 



There are also some that in a white robe edged with 



are made in gold luster, buttons, which is open and 



very plain and without or- shows a laced vest of white 



namentation. A few of this beneath. He also wears 



ware are to be found even knee breeches and has little 



in the most prolific collect- stubby legs with his feet en- 



ors' treasures, showing that cased in low shoes. 



they are very limited in A most unusual and in- 



make. The most prolific eresting group of Tobies is 



are the Staffordshire ones, found in the Nathaniel 

 "Parson" Toby an d their age can easily be Spofford collection at Sa- Old Toby 

 determined, for even the most careless observer cannot be lem, Massachusetts, each one of which is a correct imitation 

 deceived in those which are distinguished by having of an Irish lord. The collection was carefully gathered, 

 no caps. one at a time, until the number was complete. This group 

 There are many English Tobies, however, that have been so stands on a shelf in the dining-room, with a background of 

 cleverly imitated that it is difficult for even an old collector Dutch blue, which attracts a great deal of favorable atten- 

 of china to be absolutely sure as to which are old and which tion from everyone. Each figure differs in shape and in 

 new. modelling, and the most important one is that of a squatty 

 One of the tobies most interesting to Americans is the old man, with heavy eyebrows, "mutton chop" whiskers, 

 Benjamin Franklin one. Some of this kind are still to be and cocked hat. His double chin reposes inside a high col- 

 found in Philadelphia. They are generally large and show lar tied with a bow of bright color. The waistcoat is of 

 the distinguished gentleman taking snuff, the year of its red and white, with red buttons, while the short black 

 make dating back probably from ninety to a hundred years, coat comes to the waist. The legs are much foreshortened 

 Roughly speaking, the Staffordshire figure, from a col- and give a very squatty appearance. His hands are thrust 

 lector's point of view, lasted about a century and a half — into his pockets, and altogether he makes a very jovial 

 that is, from the last quarter of the seventeenth to and caricature, 

 including the first quarter of the nineteenth. A learned and Another remarkable Toby in this collection is a short 



enthusiastic collector has sug- 

 gested that these figures 

 should be divided into no 

 less than nine sections. In 

 subordination to the same 

 idea is a possibility of classi- 

 fying the time named into 

 four periods of nearly equal 

 duration which the ordinary 

 collector may readily mas- 

 ter. It is but a rough divi- 

 sion which is subject to over- 

 lapping by potters, model- 

 lers, and pieces. 



In the first division we 

 should have the Slip speci- 

 mens including Astbury fig- 

 ures. In the second, Ralph 

 Wood, Thomas Whieldon, 

 and others. In the third we 

 have Josiah Wedgewood, 

 Ralph Wood, Potter Num- 

 ber Two, Lakin, and Enoch 

 Wood. In the fourth comes 

 Walton, Wilson, Salt, and 

 others. 



This division may be a 

 help to the collector in try- 

 ing to distinguish periods, 

 for the earliest Toby ever 

 made in Staffordshire had a 

 daub of dark brown "mag- 



figure, sitting down, with 

 very leering face which is 

 emphasized by mustache and 

 goatee. 



We are very sure that jugs 

 are made in England to-day 

 that are similar to the old 

 ones. They are very light 

 and not made of the old 

 creamy bone paste of long 

 ago. Then, too, they are 

 differently decorated, mak- 

 ing such a vivid contrast that 

 even an inexperienced per- 

 son could tell the difference. 

 Few new ones, however, 

 have crept into collectors' 

 possession. They are mostly 

 odd ones that have been pur- 

 chased either for their de- 

 sign or on account of some 

 interesting feature about 

 them. 



The number which will be 

 found possible to collect is 

 indefinite and depends much 

 upon the means of the buyer. 

 They can be obtained prin- 

 cipally in antique shops, and 

 in buying the inexperienced 

 collector must use great dis- 

 cretion, for the best speci- 



nus," and the whole contour r r l t u »" 1 -c j v t u- j nu mens are of course very rare 



... tnghsh 1 obies are sometimes classified as Young 1 obies and Uld , , , . ' 



suggests an initial time. This Tob j es . The Young Toby is a figure standing as if full of life and and nave been acquired by 



type shows a figure sitting in vigor. The Old Toby is represented as seated, with worldly-wise face eager connoisseurs long ago. 



