Pair of Staffordshire Pottery Figures | 'Sand' & 'Beesums' | Street Vendors with Donkeys | Mid-19th Century

Pair of Staffordshire Pottery Figures | 'Sand' & 'Beesums' | Street Vendors with Donkeys | Mid-19th Century

Not every antique arrives with a story. These two brought the whole street with them.

Staffordshire figures recorded Victorian life in bright, plainly modelled pottery. Titled pairs of 'Sand' and 'Beesums' — street vendors with their donkeys — are recorded from the nineteenth century, and a comparable pair sold at auction in 2023 was dated to about 1860.

The first figure shows a woman, 'Sand', in a painted skirt of red, green and blue stripes, a white apron and a bonnet, standing beside her laden donkey. She carries what appears to be a circular sand mould, with bulging sacks on either side of the animal's back — sand was used in Victorian households for scouring, cleaning and strewing floors. The second figure, 'Beesums', is a man beside his own donkey, his coat painted with colourful floral detail, selling besoms: brooms made by binding bundles of twigs, heather or rushes to a handle. The bundles hang from the animal's saddle and are stacked at his feet.

Both figures are modelled in the Staffordshire manner — flat-backed, on broad oval bases, with white-glazed donkeys and boldly painted faces and colour accents.

The pair is in very good condition. Both figures are free of chips and cracks. Age-related crazing is present throughout the glaze, as expected for their age, and the painted decoration keeps strong colour.

Key Details

• Type: Staffordshire pottery figures — matching pair
• Subjects: 'Sand' (female street vendor) and 'Beesums' (male street vendor), each with a donkey
• Period: Mid-19th century
• Decoration: Painted polychrome
• Condition: Very good — no chips or cracks; age-related glaze crazing throughout; painted decoration retains strong colour

Collector Appeal

A matching titled pair of Victorian street vendors, free of chips and cracks.

Two Victorian street traders and two very patient donkeys, still keeping each other company.