
Buffalo Bill prototype character jug modeled by Harry Fenton and produced by Royal Doulton of Burslem, England, circa 1965. Born in Scottia, Iowa, William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) learned to ride at an early age and when only eleven worked as a mounted messenger for a wagon freight firm. He earned the name Buffalo Bill for killing over 4,280 buffalos in eight months to provide meat for laborers working on the railroads. His knowledge of the plains and Indian ways put him in great demand as a scout and he is renowned for killing single-handedly the Cheyenne Chief, Yellowhand. Transformed into a Western hero, he organized the first of his famous Wild West Shows in 1883. The performance at Madison Square Garden in 1887 boasted Annie Oakley and Sitting Bull in the cast, and when the show toured England it met with such approval that Queen Victoria saw it three times. Despite this success, Buffalo Bill lost the fortune he made in show business through mismanagement. A rifle and buffalo form the handle of the jug. The jug has “W. F. Cody Buffalo Bill” incised on the right shoulder. Only one copy is known.
Maker:
Royal Doulton
England
circa 1965
Model #:
Prototype
character jug
Size:
large
Height:
7 1/2"