Royal Doulton Figurine Old Meg HN2494

Old Meg (HN2494) was designed by W.K. Harper and issued by Royal Doulton from 1983 to 1986, standing 8 inches tall as part of the Golden Years series. The figure presents an elderly woman in the full character of Harper's elder studies — warmly observed, unhurried, and rendered with the kind of affectionate attention to age and personality that made his Golden Years work among the most human subjects in the entire HN range.

Harper brought a consistent dignity to his older character figures, resisting any temptation toward caricature and presenting his subjects as fully realised people rather than picturesque types. Old Meg rewards that approach — a figure whose appeal derives from recognition rather than novelty, the kind of piece that draws in collectors who respond to genuine character over decorative surface.

The production window ran three years before retirement in 1986, placing Old Meg among the shorter-run Golden Years figures. Harper's elder character studies have maintained strong collector followings, and examples in clean condition from this series are consistently harder to locate than their relatively recent dates might suggest.