HISTORY:
Another Bunnykins from our collection, this item being much more "contemporary" in production (1976 ~ 1987) although the design dates from first release in 1959.
Designed "post" Barbara Vernon (Sister Mary Bailey) by Walter Hayward (Art Director), this design continuing for many years.
Oh yes, aren't bunnies cute? (unless you are a farmer!) but many people don't realise that each piece of "Bunnykins" is like eating breakfast from a storybook!
This artwork is not just a bunch of cute bunnies sitting on a raft! Imagine you are a child eating breakfast and your imagination is stimulated when you look into the bowl (even though it's early morning!)
There is so much going on and much of it can be interpreted differently by different children ...
Bunnies out for an adventure on the high seas? A female rabbit looking for land with her telescope, that mischievous rabbit who is using the hole in the sail as a window, or did he just make that hole himself? What is he looking at? The raft is going in the opposite direction. Yet another young bunny who is about to hit the water after falling off the raft, Oh dear ... who will save him? None of the other bunnies seem too concerned, especially "Grandpah bunny" in the centre of the raft with his Green bottle of "something". Then there is another bunny attempting to catch a fish with his very small net. But above all else, there is one character depicted that stands out from all the bunnies on the raft, the mouse! It seems surprised (or is it being playful?) that it's tail is being nibbled at by a fish.
I can hear you thinking, a MOUSE? What on earth is that creature doing on a raft full of bunnies? The mouse character was used by Walter Hayward in all of his designs, think of it like an artist's signature.
Children love these sort of "make up your own story" designs, I know ours did many moons ago! And the best part, from Mum's point of view, is that for your child to see the design, they need to eat their breakfast all up first!
ROYAL DOULTON - Child's Bowl
Fine China
Semi-translucent, if you hold the bowl to the light you can see your fingers through the china material (faintly).
Bunnykins Series
Royal Doulton design ID: SF111
Name: RAFT
Design created by Walter Hayward
Original design creation date: 1959
Cereal or Soup Bowl
White/Cream background - this is the "later" colouring where instead of being quite Creamy, the china tends towards a White but not a bright White.
Transfer ware decorated
Measures: 150mm diameter and 45mm deep
Weight: 300g
BACKSTAMP DETAILS:
This backstamp was used from 1967 ~ 1987 (this is the time period that we originally purchased this bowl) The backstamp was also used later but our children were not "into" Bunnykins by the 1990's!
Brown tone colouring with a small amount of pink
(Large graphic depicting the Doulton Graphic being held by three Bunnies)
ENGLISH FINE BONE CHINA
"BUNNYKINS" ®
© 1936 ROYAL DOULTON
No artist mark as such but that distinctive Mouse figurine in the artwork (left side near the sail) which indicates a Walter Hayward design
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED (Barely)
Clean
NO cracks
NO flea bites
NO chips
NO marks
NO crazing (wet test applied, nothing shows up at all)
NO bowl knife or spoon scratching (Oh for the wonders of plastic spoons!)
A very nice example of later Royal Doulton 'Bunnykins' - a storybook in a bowl!
