Figure of the Day: Phyllis and Strephon from Gilbert & Sullivan's "Iolanthe," 1924

Figure Group from "Iolanthe"
Chelsea, 1924
The Victoria & Albert Museum

These hard-paste porcelain figures, painted in enamel colors, depict “Phyllis and Strephon,” characters from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera “Iolanthe,” (a name which refers to the color of lilacs) as they were portrayed in 1924 by Sydney Granville (1880-1959) and Winifred Lawson in the famed D'Oyly Carte Company’s production of the show at London's Prince's Theatre.

The costumes for the production, designed by Norman Wilkinson, were inspired by the painted apparel of 18th Century pastoral-themed porcelain figurines. This fact became part of the advertising campaign for the show which touted Miss Lawson as having the beauty of a piece of china.

That advertisement became, in turn, the inspiration for this 1924 figure group which was made by Ethel Sleigh and Phyllis Simpson of the Potters' Guild in Chelsea, England.