Pair of Small Antique Staffordshire Flatback Spaniels with Some Very Naive Dead Ducks

This pair of Spaniels although unmarked are I am certain from one of the Staffordshire Potteries and would date to I think the end of the 1800s, circa 1890. They are of a wonderful size being small enough (each approx 7.5cm in width) to display on a shelf or mantlepiece without taking up too much space, but they are decorative enough to hold their own. Each of the Spaniel's patches are painted with the wonderful rust red colour and are set on oval bases with fauna naively painted between the legs. In the mouth of each Spaniels hangs a dead duck, which are so incredibly naively moulded and painted, in fact it looks like whoever painted them has omitted both an eye and a beak on one duck although we know what it is by the fall of the neck and the brightly coloured wings. But I am thankful to whoever did paint them as they have managed in just a few simple strokes to put some wonderful animation in each of their faces.Around the base of each figurine is a simply painted deep yellow line, a charming imitation of gilt perhaps.