Royal Doulton Figurine Drummer Boy HN2679

The Drummer Boy (HN2679) was designed by Mary Nicoll and issued by Royal Doulton from 1976 to 1981, standing 8.5 inches (21.5 cm) tall as part of the distinguished Professions series. With a production run of just five years, this is among the more scarcely encountered figures from a series already known for limited availability, and it remains one of Nicoll's most characterful and visually arresting subjects.

The figure depicts a young drummer boy in full military dress, drum slung at his side, caught in an unguarded moment of youth and soldierly purpose. Nicoll renders the costume with the precise attention to detail that defines the Professions series at its best — the regimental colours, the equipment, the posture of a boy who takes his role entirely seriously. There is a warmth and slight wistfulness to the modelling that lifts the piece well beyond simple documentation of a uniform, and it speaks to the long British tradition of honouring the ordinary figures of military and civilian life in ceramic portraiture.

The Professions series is consistently well-regarded on the secondary market, and Drummer Boy — with its short run, strong subject, and the authority of Nicoll's hand — is one of the more sought-after entries in the group. Seaway China carries this figure at $500 USD, a market benchmark that reflects both its scarcity and its collector following.