Staffordshire Pottery Figure Pair

I saw these today and they look very strange. They have a nice amount of detail to them too.

At first I thought maybe beggars or an allegory of something like old age. But Im struggling to turn up any similar to this hunchbacked duo.

Can anybody help?

 

It's hard to say what they may have been holding, but it would have been a clue.
Did you do any image searches without the Coke?

 

There are a few more photos. Its probably a miracle that small piece of woman has stayed in the womans arm. Looks like they both did have some kind of long stick of some sort.

They're so strange, Im going have to keep looking

 

Old couple chasing a rat in their house..

 

I can see why you say Staffordshire but I think that these are continental. Spanish or Italian perhaps?

 

The clothing is more South American IMHO.

 

I agree but I’ve not seen this type of thing from South America . I’ve been trying to identify the hats as a start point.

 

The hats look Italian to me, if that helps. Also the fact that both the man and the woman have the same shape and size hat, which you see in some parts of Italy.

 

The hats could be based on these

 

I agree. Some had a slightly flatter top.

 

I would have been 100% they were Staffordshire haha. I collect Staffordshire figures so see quite a few. The shredded clay around the bases aswell its colour, the particular glaze colours used including the cobalt blue on the mans coat. The painting of the faces, everything shouts to me that they are early-mid 19th century Staffordshire figures.

Heres a Staffordshire figure for colour reference. I havent seen thos particular colours and motifs on pottery from other countries yet.

I agree that something seems off or strange about them, especially the woman and the painting on her dress that throws me off. I havent seen any Staffordshire figures holding items either.

 

Totally agree that they have all the right attributes (especially underneath) but I've been through three thick books and loads of web pages and can find nothing similar.

 

Agreed. Im wish wishfully thinking that arched backs or the pattern on her dress or indeed the hats were actually a motif that had shown up before.