Stella Crofts (1898 - 1964) An Ocelot or Dwarf Leopard - catalogued, wrongly*, by salerooms as a Clouded Leopard (*see note below)

Stella Crofts (a potter and ceramic sculptor) is best known for her ability to capture the characteristics of both domestic and wild animals. Her meticulous eye for detail, sense for movement and familial bonds are realised in her extremely scarce ceramic figurines, which are second to none in the 1930's. As an aside it is interesting to note that she was a contemporary of Henry Moore at the RCA. And yet her work is as "endangered" and as little known as some of her subject matter.

This work of an Ocelot* (perhaps observed in Regent's Park Zoo, London) can be dated some time after 1932 when she and her family moved to Billericay in Essex, England. Strangely enough and hugely appealing to me, this obscure town was also immortalised in the Ian Dury (of the Blockheads fame) song of the late 1970's which starts:

(spoken)
good evening i'm from Essex
in case you couldn't tell
my given name is Dickie, I come from Billericay
and I'm doing very well

Courtesy of: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/ian_dury_and_the_blockheads/billericay_dickie.html

* For more expert information on Stella Crofts and her work visit http://www.stellacrofts.net/