Royal Doulton Figurne The Judge HN2443

Royal Doulton The Judge HN2443 was modelled by Mary Nicoll, one of the most respected sculptors in Royal Doulton's post-war studio. Nicoll had a particular gift for character figurines — figures that tell a story at a glance — and The Judge is among her most accomplished. Where much of her output drew on the English countryside, here she turned to the courtroom, and the result is a portrait of English legal tradition rendered in fine bone china with wit and authority in equal measure.

Standing 6½ inches tall, the Judge is presented seated in his high-backed chair, robed in the scarlet and black of the English judiciary, his full-bottomed white wig perfectly in place. He holds a book — the law itself, perhaps, or a judgment about to be delivered — and his expression carries the measured benevolence of a man long accustomed to the weight of his office. The gloss finish gives the crimson robes a rich, jewel-like depth that the later matt version simply cannot match.

The gloss version of HN2443 was produced for just four years, from 1972 to 1976, before Royal Doulton replaced it with the matt colourway that ran until 1992. That twenty-year production run of the matt version is precisely what makes the gloss scarce — the vast majority of Judge figurines in the secondary market are matt finish, and collectors who know the difference actively seek out the earlier gloss. It is the harder of the two to find in excellent condition.

This figurine is offered in excellent condition and is packed with care using double-box technique with professional-grade materials. We ship worldwide.