Royal Doulton | Brambley Hedge — Spring | Trio | Jill Barklem | 1983

Wilfred Toadflax was up before the rest of them. Some things never change.

Jill Barklem's Brambley Hedge series began as a sequence of illustrated books published from 1980, depicting the lives of a community of mice living within the hedgerows of the English countryside. The detail and tenderness of Barklem's watercolour illustrations attracted immediate attention, and Royal Doulton's collaboration to translate the imagery onto bone china — launched in 1983 — proved equally enduring. The Brambley Hedge Gift Collection was produced as a set of seasonal pieces, each devoted to one of the four books: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The Spring issue depicts the opening of the season in the hedge, with Wilfred Toadflax — earliest riser of all the mice — among the primroses outside his hornbeam tree home. The copyright date of 1983 places this among the earliest production runs of the range. Pieces from this first issue are the most sought after by collectors, as later reissues exist and are distinguishable by backstamp detail.

The trio comprises a teacup, saucer, and side plate, each in Royal Doulton bone china with the characteristic Brambley Hedge scalloped and cartouche-shaped rim. The principal scene on the cup exterior and side plate centre shows Wilfred Toadflax among a mass of yellow primroses, with a snail shell, a tiny door set into the hedgerow, and surrounding bramble foliage in soft green and white. The border carries trailing bramble branches with pink wild rose buds against a pale lemon yellow ground. The cup interior carries a small central spring posy vignette in yellow, pink, and blue. Jill Barklem's facsimile signature appears on the illustrated scene. The side plate backstamp carries the full story quote in green script within a bramble wreath, with the Brambley Hedge cake device and the Royal Doulton crowned cypher above.

The trio is in excellent condition. No chips, cracks, or crazing to any piece.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton, Made in England
• Series: Brambley Hedge Gift Collection
• Season: Spring
• Illustrator: Jill Barklem
• Copyright date: 1983 (first issue)
• Scene: Wilfred Toadflax among primroses at the hornbeam tree
• Backstamp text: "The Afternoon Tea Plate from the Brambley Hedge Gift Collection"
• Story quote: "All the mice were up early, but earliest of all was Wilfred Toadflax, who lived with his family in the hornbeam tree"
• Shape: Scalloped cartouche rim
• Pieces: One trio — teacup, saucer, side plate
• Material: Bone china
• Period: 1983, first production issue
• Decoration: Polychrome transfer — primrose scene with bramble border on pale lemon ground; spring posy to cup interior
• Condition: Excellent — no chips, cracks, or crazing
• Buyer profile: Brambley Hedge collector; buyer of Royal Doulton gift ware; gift buyer for Jill Barklem enthusiast; collector of illustrated children's book-related ceramics

© Jill Barklem 1983. The hedge is still there, if you know where to look.