Royal Doulton | Autumn Breezes | HN1934 | Bone China | Designed by Leslie Harradine | 1940–1997

Royal Doulton | Autumn Breezes | HN1934 | Bone China | Designed by Leslie Harradine | 1940–1997

Movement, properly understood, is one of the most difficult things to fix in porcelain.

Autumn Breezes (HN1934), designed by Leslie Harradine and introduced in 1940 following a 1939 copyright registration, remained in production until 1997 — one of the longest-running figures in the Royal Doulton HN series.

The figure depicts a woman caught mid-stride, her weight carried forward as her skirt is lifted and swept to one side by an implied wind. She wears a wide-brimmed bonnet in sage green, tied with a blue ribbon, and a fitted bodice in pale pink with fine scrollwork detail, edged in matching green.

The outer coat and full skirt are finished in a rich crimson-magenta glaze, animated by lighter tonal brushwork in rose and warm pink. This surface treatment creates a sense of movement across the fabric rather than relying solely on form. In her lowered right hand she carries a small white muff (hand warmer). A single foot emerges beneath the lifted hem, grounding the figure. The base is white with a softly scalloped edge.

The figure is in mint condition. There are no chips, cracks, crazing, or restoration. The glaze and colour remain vivid and complete throughout.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton, Burslem, England
• Figure name: Autumn Breezes
• HN number: HN1934
• Designer: Leslie Harradine
• Issued: 1940–1997
• Copyright date: 1939
• Material: Bone china
• Height: 18cm
• Weight: 513g
• Condition: Mint — no chips, cracks, crazing or restoration
• Colourway: Red/crimson dress
• Painter’s mark: HL (hand-painted)

Collector Appeal

While Autumn Breezes is not a short-run figure, its long production life has created distinct variation across periods, particularly in colour richness, glaze handling, and painterly finish. This example is in the red/crimson colourway, with the glaze retaining its depth and the base clean and undamaged.

Other ‘Autumn Breezes’ figures from the shop: HN1911.

The success of the model lies not in rarity, but in execution — and in examples where both form and finish remain uncompromised.