Pair of Royal Worcester Porcelain Models of Wellington and Napoleon

#18251: Pair of Royal Worcester Porcelain Models of Wellington and Napoleon
Royal Worcester (British, founded 1750)
English, dated 1969
Wellington: height 42cm, width 39cm, depth 17cm
Napoleon: height 40cm, width 40cm, depth 13cm

This pair of bone china equestrian figures was produced by Royal Worcester from models by Bernard Winskill, and belongs to the series of military commanders issued by the factory in the late 1960s. Each figure is painted in polychrome enamels with gilding and stands on a porcelain groundwork mounted on a rectangular wooden plinth with brass edging and an engraved name plaque.
Wellington rides a bay horse at the walk, its head turned in and one foreleg raised. He wears a scarlet coat with gold-embroidered collar and cuffs, gold bullion aiguillettes, the blue riband and star of the Garter, and a crimson and gold waist sash, with white breeches and black boots with gilt spurs. The saddlecloth is dark blue with gold-laced borders and a gilt crowned cypher to the corner, and a black cocked hat with white and red plumes rests across the saddle beneath his hand. The horse is fitted with a black double bridle with gilt bosses.
Napoleon rides a grey horse rearing on a rocky outcrop, both forelegs raised. He wears a black bicorne with gilt edging and a red cockade, a dark coat with gold-embroidered lapels and collar over a white waistcoat and breeches, and a red cloak falling across the saddle. A gilt sabre in a chased scabbard hangs at his side, and the saddle is covered with a green shabraque with gold fringe and lace. The bridle is of brown leather with gilt fittings.
Bernard Winskill (British, 1919–1980) modelled a group of equestrian figures for Royal Worcester from the 1960s, issued in limited editions and cast in the factory's bone china. The subjects were drawn largely from military and royal history, and each was worked up from period sources for the uniform, harness and horse type.
The undersides bear the printed Royal Worcester crowned circle mark and 'Fine Bone China England', each with the title, 'modelled by B. Winskill' and the copyright date 1969. The plinths carry brass plaques lettered 'WELLINGTON' and 'NAPOLEON'.
$11,250