Royal Doulton | New Toy | DA232 | Striped Kitten with Green Slipper | Gloss | 1995–1999

The instinct to investigate is the same whether the subject is three months old or three hundred years — only the object of curiosity changes.

Royal Doulton’s animal figurine range spans both formal studies and lighter, behaviour-led subjects. The DA series, introduced in the 1990s, leans toward the latter, capturing animals in recognisable, unguarded moments. DA232, titled New Toy, belongs to this more playful register, depicting a kitten absorbed in the discovery of an object it has already decided to keep. Issued between 1995 and 1999, it sits within a short-lived series that has developed a quiet following among Doulton animal collectors.

The model presents a kitten seated upright on its haunches, forepaws wrapped around a large green slipper drawn close to the body. The coat is rendered in a cream ground with warm ginger-brown striping across the back, flanks, tail, and head, applied with fine brushwork suggestive of tabby markings. The face is broad and alert, with amber eyes picked out in detail. The slipper is finished in a deep bottle green with tonal variation across the surface. Gloss finish throughout.

The base carries the printed Royal Doulton crown and lion mark reading “Royal Doulton / Made in England,” with a painted mark below the backstamp.

There are no chips, cracks, or restoration. The gloss is intact throughout. The piece is in excellent condition.

Key details

• Maker: Royal Doulton
• Model: DA232 — New Toy (Kitten with Green Slipper)
• Issued: 1995–1999
• Finish: Gloss
• Height: 7 cm
• Weight: 52 g
• Backstamp: Royal Doulton crown and lion mark; painter’s mark present
• Condition: Excellent; no chips, cracks, or restoration

What a cat claims as its own, it claims completely — and without negotiation.