Bo'ness : Yes or No?

The attribution of animal figures to Bo’ness can be challenging - with the greatest potential for confusion arising between those of Bo’ness and Staffordshire manufacture.
Bo’ness figures do not carry a maker’s stamp.
Although some Staffordshire figures bear impressed or printed manufacturers’ marks, the majority likewise are unmarked.

Certain Bo'ness-made figures do display a British Patent Office registration number. Where present, this identifies the maker (invariably Bridgeness Pottery Ltd) and the year of registration.

Guidance comes from sources such as specialist websites, social media groups, and discussion forums where collectors share images and observations.
Occasional references to Bo’ness animal figures appear in reference books and in contemporary publications accessible through online archives.
Taken together, these sources can be informative, though their scope and reliability vary.

Further insights come from figures that appear for sale.
Online marketplaces such as eBay, along with auction catalogues, provide a continual stream of images. When identical or closely similar figures recur, these can help to build a broader picture of Bo’ness pottery production.
However, some online sellers, particularly on platforms such as eBay, may lack specialist knowledge and rely on web searches which return earlier listings. This can unintentionally perpetuate and reinforce previous misattributions.

Complicating matters further, in some instances identical or at least remarkably similar moulds appear to have been used by both Staffordshire and Bo’ness potteries over extended periods.
Where modelling alone is insufficient to confirm origin, differences in glaze, colouring, or decorative treatment may offer useful clues.

Inevitably, attribution must on occasion rest upon informed judgement rather than absolute certainty and sometimes no firm conclusion can be reached.

Of the figures listed below, it can be said of some that they are clearly not Bo’ness-made, but for others there's insufficient evidence to make a confident attribution.
Images of authentic Bo’ness-made pieces are included for comparison.

The glass eyes of the modern figures are slightly larger and more vivid in colour, resulting in a heightened comic expression.
The antique cats may perhaps be considered the kitsch figures of their era, but these reproductions have somehow contrived to out-kitsch them!
You'll find that the commemorative reproductions can be purchased at modest prices, whereas genuine Bo'ness glass-eyed cats, such as those below, are significantly more expensive to acquire.

Ceramic Pekingese figures were manufactured in both Bo'ness and Staffordshire potteries.
The Bo'ness-made dogs were typically produced in three distinct parts - two body halves and a separate base. As a result, the joint where the body sections meet often remains visible as a seam running along the top of the figure.

As previously mentioned, the widespread replication of successful designs was common practice throughout the British pottery industry.
For many decades, both Staffordshire and Bo'ness potteries manufactured popular and affordable figures for the mass market.
The commercial success of a particular design could result in several potteries producing very similar figures.

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