GILBERT BAYES (BRITISH 1872-1953) A PAIR OF ROYAL

GILBERT BAYES (BRITISH 1872-1953) A PAIR OF ROYAL DOULTON GLAZED STONEWARE FINIALS, CIRCA 1935 Modelled as a duck and a drake, glazed in green, blue, mauve and umber, one with moulded signature to base 'GILBERT BAYES', both raised on later ebonised limewood plinths (tallest figure 48cm high (68cm high inc stand), 13cm wide, smaller figure 45cm high (65cm high inc stand), 13cm wide) Qty: (2) Footnote: Provenance: Ian B. M. Hamilton and by family descent Literature: Irvine, Louise and Atterbury, Paul, Gilbert Bayes: Sculptor 1872-1953, Richard Dennis 1988, pp. 36-37; p.172 illus. Note: During the 1930's, Gilbert Bayes worked on a community art project for the St. Pancras Housing Association Improvement Society as part of a slum clearance scheme at Sidney Street in Somerstown, north of Euston station, and at other sites across London. The aim was the provision of high-quality homes for the poorest tenants. The society’s architect was Ian B. M. Hamilton, the grandfather of the current owners, and he designed all the new flats to stand on the cleared land. Since Bayes believed that art should be available to all people, this commission was very close to his heart. He produced relief model lunettes of fairy tale characters, as well as ceramic sculptures and post finials for the washing line posts. The finials were inspired by animals and plants, nursery rhymes, Christmas cards, or the lives of the saints. All the post finials and relief panels were made by Royal Doulton between 1931 and 1938 and as well as at Somerstown the Society commissioned these embellishments by Bayes at their other London projects. These duck finials for example were used at the Athlone Estate (1933-7) in Kentish Town and the dragons, rose and thistle finials were made for the York Rise Estate (1937-8) near Highgate Hill. All the original post finials for the project have now been removed, although some original relief plaques and ornaments remain at Sidney Street.