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

The world Sister Barbara Vernon drew was one in which small creatures led large lives — and somehow, on bone china, it still holds.

Bunnykins was introduced by Royal Doulton in 1934, based on the drawings of Sister Mary Barbara Vernon, a Dominican nun whose pen-and-ink scenes of rabbit families at work and at play became one of the factory’s most enduring designs. The copyright was registered in 1936 — a date that appears consistently on backstamps across decades of production. The range remained in continuous manufacture for much of the twentieth century, its appeal rooted in the gentle narrative quality of its scenes.

This example belongs to the standard production line and retains the classic two-handled child’s form, a shape designed for ease of use but now as often kept for its familiarity and charm.

The mug is of gently tapering cylindrical shape, wider at the rim and set between two loop handles sized for a child’s grip. One face shows the skipping scene: a male rabbit in a red jacket and a female rabbit in a blue spotted dress skipping together across a grassy bank dotted with yellow and orange flowers. The reverse depicts the barrel organ scene, with a father rabbit turning the handle while a small gathering — young rabbits, a mouse, and a seated baby — move around him. A continuous border of leaping hares runs above both scenes against the cream ground. The interior remains plain.

There are no chips, cracks, or crazing. The printed decoration remains clear and well-preserved. A small kiln miss is present on the exterior face of one handle, where the glaze did not fully cover during firing; it is unobtrusive and only apparent on close inspection.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton
• Pattern: Bunnykins — Skipping and Barrel Organ scenes
• Form: Two-handled child's mug
• Material: English fine bone china
• Backstamp: "Bunnykins" ® / © Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd 1936
• Length (handle to handle): 13 cm
• Bowl diameter: 8.7 cm
• Height: 7.5 cm
• Weight: 229 g
• Condition: Excellent; minor kiln miss to handle, visible only on close inspection

Collector Appeal

Bunnykins remains one of the most recognisable nurseryware ranges produced by Royal Doulton, with its long production history offering a wide field for collectors. Examples in the classic two-handled form, particularly those retaining clear, well-defined scenes and free from damage, continue to hold steady appeal. The combination of narrative decoration and practical form places pieces such as this at the intersection of collectible and usable object — equally suited to display or thoughtful gifting.

Even the smallest irregularities tend to remain exactly where they were made — a quiet record of the firing, and of the hand behind it.