Mid-Century Modern Beswick Pottery Palomino Imperial Horse Figurine, 1960s

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Moulded in a free-standing stance with all four hooves resting directly on the ground, this ceramic figure depicts the thoroughbred … Read more Moulded in a free-standing stance with all four hooves resting directly on the ground, this ceramic figure depicts the thoroughbred horse known as Imperial, recorded under Beswick model number 1557. The sculpture presents an alert, upright pose with prick ears, an extended neck, and clearly defined musculature across the flanks, shoulders, and quarters. The figure is finished in Beswick's glossy palomino colourway, combining a rich golden-tan body with an off-white mane, tail, and facial blaze. Subtle airbrushed colour transitions accentuate the muzzle and stifles, complemented by individually hand-painted dark eyes and detailed white stockings on the lower legs. A lustrous clear glaze covers the earthenware body, producing an even, reflective finish across the curves. Manufactured in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, the model was produced during the 1960s or 1970s. The underside of the belly features the round printed black factory backstamp reading 'Beswick England', placed alongside a small firing vent hole that is characteristic of mid-twentieth-century hollow slip-cast ceramic figures. Measuring 21 cm in height to the tips of the ears and roughly 31 cm in length from muzzle to hindquarters, the piece is designed to stand independently without the support of a base or plinth. Its balance and slender leg modelling demonstrate the technical skill required in slip casting and firing complex animal forms without warping or sag. The figure survives in sound structural order, with no chips, cracks, or ceramic repairs, making it a well-preserved representative of classic Staffordshire equine modelling. See less