Ballad Seller HN2266, Royal Doulton Figurine

Ballad Seller (HN2266) was designed by Peggy Davies and produced by Royal Doulton from 1968 to 1973. Standing 7.5 inches (19 cm) tall, this evocative character figure depicts a young street vendor from Georgian-era London, offering printed ballad sheets to passersby — a figure drawn directly from the rich tradition of English street life that fascinated artists and printmakers for centuries.

The figure is believed to have been inspired by Francis Wheatley's celebrated series of engravings known as the London Cries, produced in the 1790s, which immortalized the itinerant sellers who filled the streets of the capital with their trades and their calls. Ballad sheets — printed narrative poems on topical or romantic subjects — were among the most popular items sold in this way, making the ballad seller a familiar and beloved figure of the era. Peggy Davies brings her characteristic warmth and sculptural fluency to the subject, capturing both the period costume and the quiet dignity of her subject with the confident hand of one of Royal Doulton's finest modellers.

Peggy Davies remains one of the most admired designers in Royal Doulton's history, responsible for some of the most technically accomplished and emotionally resonant figures produced at Burslem across four decades. A piece bearing her name carries genuine artistic weight with serious collectors. With a production window of just five years, the Ballad Seller is not commonly encountered in the market, and examples in clean, undamaged condition attract consistent collector interest.

A distinguished addition to any collection of Peggy Davies figures, Georgian street scene subjects, or Royal Doulton character studies from the classic period. Fully insured shipping across Canada with tracking.