Royal Doulton | Bunnykins Cereal Bowl | Grandpa Telling a Story | Earthenware | England, c.1959–1975

Royal Doulton | Bunnykins Cereal Bowl | Grandpa Telling a Story | Earthenware | England, c.1959–1975

Grandpa has the best chair and the whole family’s attention; even the mice have come to listen.

Royal Doulton introduced Bunnykins nurseryware in 1934, drawing on illustrations by Barbara Vernon Bailey, known as Sister Mary Barbara, an Augustinian nun. This cream-coloured earthenware bowl carries the registered-trademark Bunnykins backstamp associated with production from approximately 1959 to 1975.

The bowl has curved sides and a gently flared rim. In the centre, a grandfather rabbit in spectacles, red jacket, yellow waistcoat, black bow tie and checked trousers sits in a large green armchair, one paw raised as he tells his story. A young rabbit sits on his lap, and others gather on the floor – two in red jackets, one in a pink dress sitting on a blue cushion beside a small doll – while a mother rabbit in a blue spotted dress looks on. A mouse perches on the back of the chair and another sits on a stool beside a cotton reel; a little wheeled duck waits on the floor, and one of Grandpa’s slippers rests on a small footstool. A border of running rabbits circles the rim.

The base carries the Royal Doulton lion-and-crown mark with three Bunnykins rabbits and “‘Bunnykins’ ® Regd. Trade Mark”.

Good condition, with no chips, cracks or crazing. The central scene shows light surface scratches from use, visible in the close-up photograph.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton, England
• Pattern: Bunnykins
• Decoration: Grandpa Bunnykins telling a story to the family; running-rabbit border
• Form: cereal bowl
• Material: earthenware
• Marks: Royal Doulton lion-and-crown and Bunnykins backstamp; “‘Bunnykins’ ® Regd. Trade Mark”
• Date: c.1959–1975 (by backstamp)
• Dimensions: diameter 15 cm; height 4.6 cm
• Weight: 210 g
• Condition: good; light surface scratches to the central scene
• Buyer profile: Bunnykins collectors, and anyone who remembers these bowls from childhood

Collector Appeal

The cream-coloured earthenware and registered-trademark backstamp place this bowl within an earlier generation of Bunnykins nurseryware. Its crowded family scene retains clear colour, with small details that reward a closer look.

Other Bunnykins pieces from the shop: two-handled mug, dinner plate, beaker, single-handled mug and baby plate and porridge bowl.

The scene has been enjoyed at more than one breakfast table.