Royal Doulton Figurine The Clown HN2890

The Clown (HN2890) was designed by William K. Harper and issued from 1979 to 1988, standing 9 inches tall. It is the central piece in Harper's Royal Doulton clown series — the figure from which the rest of his clown output grew, and the one against which collectors measure all the others.

Harper's Clown is a pie-thrower, mid-act and entirely committed: the jokester in vivid full costume braced to launch a cream pie at whoever is standing closest. It is an unambiguously comic subject rendered with the physical confidence and character detail that made Harper's best work so recognisable — the posture, the expression, the costume all working together to communicate exactly who this person is and what is about to happen. There is nothing ambiguous or understated about it, which is entirely the point.

At 9 inches the figure has real presence on any shelf, and the vividness of the clown palette gives it immediate visual impact. Harper would go on to develop the clown theme across several other HN numbers — Balloon Clown HN2894, Slapdash HN2277, Partners HN3119 — but HN2890 is where the series begins, and for collectors building the Harper clown group it is the essential starting point. Charlton values the piece at $375.

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