Staffordshire Pottery

This is by far not my starting point in looking back. I wish I had Peabody's Way Back Machine to find out the real stories about whippets and where they originated.

Sale Catalogues By American Art Association Anderson Galleries, Inc. 1886
http://www.google.com/books?id=jmYaAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#PPA2,M1

But on to Staffordshire Pottery. The pottery has long had a line identified with a figure referred to as a whippet. I imagine that since they identified the pieces, they should know what the figure represented. I hadn't thought previously to look at their whippets as a source of research until recently. What prompted this was the discovery of an auction catalog dated to 1886 which contains a Staffordshire Whippet Inkwell for sale.

Although far from verified sources, I did a search for "Staffordshire Pottery Whippet Inkwell" and found many for sale at a variety of antique dealers on the date of this post. Several whippet inkwells came up placed circa 1850s. As their popularity did not grow until later, it does show that there was enough of a following even this early. While not an inkwell, here is an example from one dealer that mentions approximate dating for the pieces.

Here is a piece dated 1845 as either a greyhound or whippet. It has many similarities to their later whippets moreso than the look of later greyhounds. But the size of the hare, may point to it being a greyhound.

http://www.antiquepottery.co.uk/Details-Page.php?StockID=1366