Lot 271: Wills & Sons Fine Shagg Tobacco Advertising Figure
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A polychrome advertising counter display figure for Wills & Sons Fine Shagg tobacco. The molded composition figure depicts a jovial man wearing a grey top hat with a black band, a yellow waistcoat over a cream shirt, and a red bow tie. He is shown leaning against a green plinth base, holding a clay pipe with a black metal stem and a printed paper tobacco canister. The canister bears a label for W.D. & H.O. Wills Bristol Old Friend tobacco featuring a portrait of a Black man. The front of the base features raised block lettering in red reading WILLS & SONS FINE SHAGG. The rear of the base is incised with the characters ITC 9161, referring to the Imperial Tobacco Company. The figure stands on a rectangular grey-painted base.
Standing approximately 14 inches (35.5 cm) tall.
Condition report:
The figure is in fair condition with several visible defects. The metal pipe stem is bent and shows surface oxidation (photo 1). The original paper Old Friend label on the tobacco canister is heavily worn with significant tears and losses to the top and bottom edges (photo 5). There are scattered paint flakes and abrasions across the polychrome finish, most notably on the top hat, waistcoat, and green plinth (photos 1 and 2). The underside of the base shows heavy scuffing and loss of the grey finish, exposing the white composition material beneath (photo 6). The entire surface has a layer of accumulated dust and grime.
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