Royal Doulton | Bunnykins | Single-Handled Child's Mug | Fine Bone China | England, c.1936–1990s

Two of the most English things imaginable — a wheelbarrow race and a game of cricket — and the rabbits have taken to both with complete conviction.

Bunnykins was introduced by Royal Doulton in 1934, based on the drawings of Sister Mary Barbara Vernon, a Dominican nun whose scenes of rabbit families in domestic, outdoor and sporting settings became one of the factory’s most enduring designs. The copyright was registered in 1936 — a date carried across decades of production. Within the range, the single-handled mug forms a distinct variation, taller in proportion than the twin-handled form and suited to a later stage of childhood use.

The mug is of gently tapering cylindrical form with a single loop handle, wider at the rim than the base. One face carries the wheelbarrow race scene: a group of rabbits compete in pairs across a grassy field, each holding the legs of the rabbit in front as they scramble forward. A rabbit in blue leads at centre, with others in red flanking the scene, while a rabbit in yellow has already come unstuck in the foreground. Small mushrooms dot the grass, and stylised clouds rise against a pale blue sky.

The reverse presents the cricket scene: a rabbit in a red jacket strides across the grass carrying a bat and a full complement of cricket equipment, accompanied by two mice — one in yellow and one in blue — each helping to manage the load. The familiar leaping hare border runs around the upper body, linking both scenes.

There are no chips, cracks, or crazing. The printed decoration remains vivid and well-preserved throughout, with no fading to either scene or the border. The piece is in mint, unused condition.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton
• Pattern: Bunnykins — Wheelbarrow Race and Cricket scenes
• Form: Single-handled child's mug
• Material: English fine bone china
• Backstamp: "Bunnykins" ® / © Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd 1936
• Diameter: 7.4 cm
• Height: 9.1 cm
• Length (including handle): 9.4 cm
• Weight: 171 g
• Condition: Mint; unused

Collector Appeal

Single-handled mugs occupy a slightly less common position within the Bunnykins range, offering a transitional form between early childhood pieces and more standard tableware. Examples combining multiple narrative scenes, particularly those with clear and lively compositions such as sporting subjects, tend to stand out within standard production. In unused condition, with strong colour and crisp detail, they remain consistently appealing to collectors of Royal Doulton nurseryware.

The mice carrying the knee guards and wickets are the ones doing the real work — as they tend to be.