Unattributed | Mallard Drake | Glazed Earthenware Money Box | Mid-20th Century

The money box has always asked the same quiet question — patient, sealed, waiting to see if the answer is yes.

The ceramic money box has a long domestic history, but the mid-twentieth century produced some of its most appealing expressions in the form of figural animal banks. The duck was a natural subject — upright, compact, and well suited to the rounded volume required. Examples of this type were produced across Britain and Continental Europe during the mid-century decades, typically in earthenware with flowing or reactive glazes, and intended as much for display as for use.

The figure is modelled as a standing mallard drake, upright and forward-facing, its natural form lending itself easily to the money box structure. The glaze is applied in a flowing, reactive manner: the head and neck in a speckled blue shifting from grey-blue at the crown to a warmer teal at the throat, transitioning through an olive-toned band into a deep amber-chestnut body. The shift between colours is softly graduated, giving the piece a painterly quality rather than a sharply defined pattern. The webbed feet are picked out in the same amber tones with darker definition at the edges. The coin slot is positioned to the back between the wings.

The base is left unglazed, revealing a pale buff earthenware body, and is fitted with its original black rubber retrieval bung, which remains intact and functional.

The piece is in very good condition for its age. There are no chips, cracks, or repairs. Age-related crazing is present and consistent with the period. The glaze remains bright and well-preserved.

Key Details

• Maker: Unattributed
• Form: Figural money box
• Subject: Mallard drake
• Material: Glazed earthenware
• Period: Mid-20th century
• Height: 22 cm
• Length: 20.5 cm
• Width: 11 cm
• Weight: 442 g
• Condition: Very good — age-related crazing; no chips, cracks or repairs; original rubber bung intact

Collector Appeal

Mid-century figural money boxes occupy a well-established niche within decorative ceramics, valued for their combination of function and character. Animal forms, particularly ducks, remain among the most recognisable and widely collected examples. Pieces with strong glaze variation, intact fittings such as the original bung, and clean overall condition continue to appeal both to collectors and to those seeking distinctive decorative objects with practical origins.

An object made to hold something in reserve has a particular kind of integrity — it keeps its promise whether or not anyone ever comes to collect.