Royal Doulton Bunnykins

Royal Doulton Bunnykins is a children's ceramic tableware and collectible figurine range associated with the Royal Doulton brand. The line is recognized for colorful illustrations of rabbits dressed as people and shown in domestic, rural, small-town, occupational, historical, literary, and seasonal settings. Its original tableware was created for nursery use, but the designs also became popular as christening and birthday gifts and later developed a substantial collectors' market. The Bunnykins concept originated in the early 1930s with artwork by Barbara Vernon Bailey, later Sister Mary Barbara Bailey, whose father Cuthbert Bailey was general manager of Doulton. Although she was not a professional commercial illustrator and later became an Augustinian Canoness of the Lateran, she supplied drawings to Doulton designers for adaptation to ceramic products. The first Bunnykins tableware was introduced in 1934. Early pieces carried the signature “Barbara Vernon” and are particularly sought after by collectors. The tableware depicted recurring Bunnykins characters, including Mr. and Mrs. Bunnykins, participating in scenes rendered through transfer printing on white china. The designs gained additional cultural visibility when Bunnykins china was used by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. This association helped establish the range as a desirable gift in British middle-class households, especially for christenings and birthdays. Sister Mary Barbara stopped producing drawings for Doulton in 1950. During the early 1950s, Royal Doulton art director Walter Hayward assumed a major role in developing new Bunnykins designs, while later artists also contributed to the range. Hayward's Bunnykins work was subsequently represented in the 1984 children's storybook Picnic for Bunnykins. Collectible figurines expanded the franchise beyond nursery tableware. Charles Noke designed the first six Bunnykins figures, which entered production in 1939. Manufacturing was interrupted during the Second World War when the relevant factories closed, and the original figures became scarce. Figurine production resumed after Royal Doulton acquired the Beswick factory in 1969. Later figures were generally identified with model numbers beginning with the prefix “DB” and were designed by figures including Walter Hayward and design manager Harry Sales. The figurine range became notable for its breadth. Bunny characters were presented as professionals such as policemen and nurses, as historical and literary personalities, and in regional or traditional costumes. Examples include Policeman Bunnykins, Nurse Bunnykins, Sir Lancelot Bunnykins, Betsy Ross Bunnykins, Lapplander Bunnykins, and Fortune Teller Bunnykins. A 2005 figure titled Sister Barbara commemorated the creative origin of the range by portraying Sister Mary Barbara at a drawing table. Bunnykins products continued to be manufactured in England until 2005. Current production of Bunnykins tableware and figurines takes place in Asia. The range therefore combines historic English ceramic design and Royal Doulton provenance with later international manufacturing. Its appeal spans practical children's dinnerware, giftware, decorative ceramics, and collecting, with early Barbara Vernon pieces and scarce pre-war figurines occupying a distinct position in the secondary market.

Bunnykins began as a Royal Doulton tableware design in 1934. Its visual language was based on illustrations supplied by Barbara Vernon Bailey, who later became Sister Mary Barbara Bailey, an Augustinian Canoness of the Lateran. Her father, Cuthbert Bailey, was Doulton's general manager. Sister Mary Barbara's drawings showed rabbits wearing human clothing and taking part in familiar English scenes. Doulton adapted these illustrations for transfer-printed white china used as children's and nursery tableware. The earliest pieces were marked with the name Barbara Vernon. These early examples are now regarded as rare and valuable by collectors. Bunnykins china also acquired a strong gift-market profile after being used by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. The royal association contributed to its popularity as a christening and birthday present in British homes. Sister Mary Barbara stopped creating drawings for Doulton in 1950. In the early 1950s, Royal Doulton art director Walter Hayward became an important designer of subsequent Bunnykins material, and other artists later contributed to the tableware and figurine programs. Hayward's illustrations were also used in the 1984 Bunnykins storybook Picnic for Bunnykins, published by Kestrel Books. The figurine history began in 1939, when Charles Noke designed six Bunnykins figures. Production stopped during the Second World War because the factories closed. The original six figures consequently became especially uncommon. Figurines did not return to production until after Royal Doulton acquired the Beswick factory in 1969. Later Bunnykins figures generally used model numbers with a DB prefix and were developed by designers including Walter Hayward and Harry Sales. Over time, the figurine line became much broader than the original six designs. It portrayed rabbits as workers, professionals, historical figures, literary characters, and people wearing traditional or regional costumes. Named examples include Policeman Bunnykins, Nurse Bunnykins, Sir Lancelot Bunnykins, Betsy Ross Bunnykins, Lapplander Bunnykins, and Fortune Teller Bunnykins. In 2005, Royal Doulton issued Sister Barbara, a figure representing Sister Mary Barbara at her drawing table and acknowledging the range's artistic source. Bunnykins continued to be made in England through 2005. Production later moved to Asia, where Bunnykins tableware and figurines are currently manufactured. The brand consequently has two overlapping identities: a historic English ceramic line with important pre-war and mid-century material, and an ongoing international gift and collectibles range sold under the Royal Doulton name.

• 2005

  English production ends

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Bunnykins continued to be manufactured in England until 2005; later production moved to Asia.

• 2005

  Sister Barbara figurine issued

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Royal Doulton released a Bunnykins figurine portraying Sister Mary Barbara at her drawing table.

• 1984

  Picnic for Bunnykins published

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Walter Hayward's Bunnykins drawings appeared in the children's storybook Picnic for Bunnykins, published by Kestrel Books.

• 1969

  Figurines return after the Beswick acquisition

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Bunnykins figurine production resumed after Royal Doulton acquired the Beswick factory; later models were commonly numbered with a DB prefix.

• 1950

  Sister Mary Barbara ends her Doulton drawings

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Sister Mary Barbara Bailey stopped producing Bunnykins artwork for Doulton, after which other designers supplied new material.

• 1940

  Figurine production interrupted by the Second World War

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Factory closures during the war halted production of Bunnykins figurines and contributed to the rarity of the original six designs.

• 1939

  First Bunnykins figurines created

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Charles Noke designed the initial group of six Bunnykins figurines.

• 1934

  Bunnykins tableware introduced

  [1]Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org

  Royal Doulton introduced nursery tableware featuring rabbits in human clothing and colorful English domestic and rural scenes, based on artwork associated with Barbara Vernon Bailey.

A heritage-oriented children's ceramic and collectible range combining storybook-style rabbit characters, gift appeal, and Royal Doulton craftsmanship and provenance.

• Children's ceramic tableware · 1934

  Bunnykins nursery tableware

  The original Bunnykins product family consists of children's and nursery china decorated with transfer-printed scenes of rabbits dressed as people. Designs commonly show Mr. and Mrs. Bunnykins and other characters in rural, domestic, and small-town English settings. Early pieces signed Barbara Vernon are particularly collectible, while later designs were supplied by a succession of artists after Sister Mary Barbara Bailey stopped producing drawings in 1950.

• Ceramic figurines · 1939

  Bunnykins collectible figurines

  The figurine program began with six Charles Noke designs in 1939 and expanded substantially after production resumed in 1969. The range interprets Bunnykins as professionals, historical and literary characters, and figures in traditional or regional dress. Examples include Policeman Bunnykins, Nurse Bunnykins, Sir Lancelot Bunnykins, Betsy Ross Bunnykins, Lapplander Bunnykins, and Fortune Teller Bunnykins. Later models commonly carry DB-prefix numbers.

• Commemorative figurine · 2005

  Sister Barbara

  Issued in 2005, Sister Barbara depicts Sister Mary Barbara Bailey, the artist whose early illustrations provided the foundation for Bunnykins. The figure shows her seated at a drawing table and serves as an explicit tribute to the range's creative origin.

• 2005

  Shifted manufacturing from England to AsiaStrategy

  Background

  Bunnykins products had been manufactured in England through 2005.

  Action taken

  Manufacturing of Bunnykins tableware and figurines moved to Asian production facilities.

  Aftermath

  The range retained its Royal Doulton heritage while later production was no longer based in England.

  Source

• 1969

  Restarted Bunnykins figurine productionStrategy

  Background

  Bunnykins figurine manufacturing had been suspended during the Second World War and had not resumed for decades.

  Action taken

  Following the acquisition of the Beswick factory, Royal Doulton brought Bunnykins figurines back into production and developed a larger numbered range.

  Aftermath

  The revived program expanded Bunnykins from a small pre-war figurine group into a broad collectible line.

  Source

1. 1Royal Doulton Bunnykinsen.wikipedia.org