Tony Woods 1984 collectors character thimble 17th Century Duke of York

Here we have a fabulous Tony Woods character thimble.

This lovely oversized character thimble by Tony Woods Studio is dated 1984 and signed M.D. on the reverse. It stands 4cm tall, is 4cm wide and 3cm deep front to back. The base is dimpled as a thimble top and the top is open via the tricorn hat. It is hand painted and finished with a high gloss glaze. We believe this may be a depiction of The Duke of York as the original British marines of the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot (1664–1689) wore yellow (probably yellow-brown) coats with red breeches and black felt hats. This character is clearly wearing a yellow coat.

In 1982 Tony Wood in partnership with Elizabeth Capper opened Tony Wood Studio 1982 Ltd for business. The pottery was sited at the Rising Hawk factory at Fenton. Production of the old Wood & Sons Toby jugs was continued but like any new company the desire to break away from the past produced a range of new jugs. Just as the company was finding its feet a fire at the Fenton factory on the 22nd August 1984 stopped production although not for long. Space was offered by Anthony Wade at the Wade Burslem factory and production which was vital to the young company was continued. A footnote to this episode is that the offices of Tony Wood Studio 82 were temporarily located at the insurers Morgan and Co, maybe to save the insurers the cost of providing emergency accommodation By 1985 production was moved to the Capper Works, Milburn Road, Cobridge. New ground was broken with the agreement to supply Arthur Bell of Scotland Direct with a series of character jugs called the Guild of Wood Pottery Collectors, Ralph Wood Collection which were sold by mail order. For a number of years the company prospered, but within six years the receivers were called in and by 1991 the company was sold. As is the way pottery companies come and go, but with the demise of Wood and Sons, followed in relatively quick succession by Tony Wood Studio 82 Ltd, an association between the Woods family and the potteries which had spanned over two hundred years was finally closed.

Sadly we don't have the original box but we will use one of our brown ring boxes as a presentation box so this can be bought as a gift for that special thimble collector.