Royal Doulton | Bunnykins | Two-Handled Child's Mug | Fine Bone China | England, 1984 — Golden Jubilee Celebration

Royal Doulton | Bunnykins | Two-Handled Child's Mug | Fine Bone China | England, 1984 — Golden Jubilee Celebration

A piece made for small hands carries, in its scenes and its date, the full weight of fifty years of a beloved tradition.

Bunnykins was introduced by Royal Doulton in 1934, drawing on illustrations by Barbara Vernon Bailey, known as Sister Mary Barbara, an Augustinian nun. Her early designs established the character of the range, which continued under other illustrators. The 1936 copyright date appears on later backstamps and should not be confused with the manufacturing date of an individual piece.

By 1984, fifty years of Bunnykins production was marked with a Golden Jubilee Celebration, and this mug forms part of that commemorative issue — a dated piece marking half a century of the Bunnykins world.

The mug is of the classic twin-handled form, designed for a young child’s grip, with a gently tapering cylindrical body set between two balanced loop handles. One side depicts a lively railway scene: a red steam locomotive marked “BR” — Bunny Railway — with a uniformed rabbit driver leaning from the cab, green flag in hand, while rabbit passengers ride in open carriages behind. A small mouse watches from the trackside. On the reverse, a rabbit in an orange coat runs past a wooden signpost reading “Bunny Town / To the Station,” suggesting a moment caught mid-journey.

A continuous upper border of leaping hares encircles the rim, providing movement and cohesion across the two scenes. The interior remains plain, the cream bone china allowing the exterior decoration to take full focus.

The condition is excellent. There are no chips, cracks, or crazing. The printed decoration remains vivid and sharp, with no visible fading or wear.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton
• Pattern: Bunnykins — Bunny Railway / Station scenes
• Form: Two-handled child's mug
• Material: English fine bone china
• Backstamp: "Bunnykins" ® / © Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd 1936 / Golden Jubilee Celebration / 1984
• Height: 7.5 cm
• Length (handle to handle): 13 cm
• Diameter: 8.8 cm
• Weight: 221 g
• Condition: Excellent

Collector Appeal

The 1984 Golden Jubilee backstamp identifies this mug as part of the fiftieth-anniversary issue. Its twin-handled form carries two railway scenes, with the decoration remaining sharp and well preserved.

Other Bunnykins Golden Jubilee pieces from the shop: cereal bowl, breakfast bowl and two-handled mug (Wild West scene).

The child who first drank from this mug is most likely a parent now; the rabbit on the platform is still running for his train.