The figure offered at McTear’s (20% buyer’s premium) in Glasgow in August 24 brought a bid of £6900 – the highest for the HN series in recent memory.
Fisherwoman, a large-scale figure also known as Waiting for the Boats, or Looking for the Boats, is thought to have been issued c.1917, four years after the release of the first figure from the series (Darling HN1).
Many of these early figures had a very short production run and were produced to order. They could even be decorated to match a chosen colour scheme.
Fisherwoman is known in a number of different colour variations. The central figure to this 12in (30cm) high model – a subject inspired by many Victorian oils of the same subject – wears a checked headscarf and polkadot shawl.
The signature of hugely influential factory art director Charles Noke appears to both the base and in the mould.
This figure came for sale from a vendor clearing the house of an aunt who had been a keen auction-goer. The estimate of £300-500 (set with little in the way of auction precedent to draw upon) was swept aside by bidding from a range of international dealers and collectors.
Specialist Claire Douglas said the winning bid was made via thesaleroom.com by an online bidder in England.
