Royal Doulton | The Orange Lady | HN 1953 | Porcelain Figurine | England, Introduced 1940

She has been walking the same route for eighty years and has not once considered putting the baskets down.

Royal Doulton’s series of market traders and street vendors occupies a distinct place within the HN figure range — figures drawn from everyday working life rather than the drawing room. The Orange Lady, introduced in 1940, remained in production for several decades and has become one of the more recognisable models within this character group.

She is a type rather than a portrait: the itinerant fruit seller familiar to British and European street markets, but rendered with enough individuality to feel specific. The slight forward lean, the set of the shoulders, and the balance of the baskets all suggest a figure accustomed to weight and movement rather than display.

The figure depicts an older woman mid-stride, carrying a wicker basket in each hand, both filled with oranges rendered in a warm amber-gold glaze. She wears a pale yellow-green skirt falling to the ankle, with a substantial tartan shawl in deep teal with black and blue overcheck, finished with a dark red fringe. A red scarf is visible at the throat beneath the shawl. Her hair is covered with a dark headscarf, accented with a small floral detail at the crown. The second basket rests against a folded white cloth with blue stripe detail. The face is composed and downward-looking, attentive to the task at hand rather than the viewer. The modelling of the hands, baskets, and surface textures is well resolved, consistent with Royal Doulton production of the period.

The condition is excellent. There are no chips, cracks, or repairs. The glaze is intact and the colours remain strong and well preserved.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton
• Title: The Orange Lady
• HN Number: HN 1953
• Material: Glazed porcelain
• Origin: England
• Height: 20.7 cm
• Weight: 356 g
• Introduced: 1940
• Condition: Excellent — no chips, cracks, or repairs

Collector Appeal

• A well-known example from Royal Doulton’s Street Vendor series
• Character-driven subject matter distinct from traditional “lady” figures
• Strong narrative presence with well-balanced composition
• A solid addition for Royal Doulton collectors or those building a character figure grouping
• Suitable for display or as a thoughtful, period-appropriate gift

A figure concerned not with display, but with the quiet continuity of daily work — and all the more compelling for it.