The Penguin Huddle at Bonhams 2007
Dennis Chinaworks have been making pottery with penguin motifs since 1996. In 1999 the Penguin Footbath was one of the first surprises at our annual Bonhams auction, selling for £1,265, followed by the Penguin Colony at £2,645 in 2000. In 2005 the ambitious March of the Penguins flew away at £15,720. In 2007, we offered the Penguin Huddle. Sally Tuffin, the pottery owner and designer is, like so many of us, captivated by penguins and their behaviour. Her innovative idea to make multi-penguin pieces has caught the imagination of collectors and these rare extravaganzas have been well received. The making process is complex.
Shapes are thrown by Chris Wright and Rory McLeod. The penguins, modelled by Alan Pepper, are cast and their heads manipulated to take different positions. The Huddle has been painted by Adam White. The fettling and decorating has taken many weeks and keeping the assembly at the right humidity has been a real challenge while penguins were added and painted, cluster by cluster until the complete huddle was formed. How many in the huddle? We don’t know, they keep shuffling about! The Huddle, immortalised by the film The March of the Penguins, is sometimes termed a turtle after the testudo used by Roman Legionaries to defend themselves from arrows and javelins by overlapping their shields giving the appearance of a turtle shell. Huddling is the key by which emperor penguins sustain their breeding fast during the Antarctic winter. This complex social behaviour enables all breeders to have equal access to an environment which allows them to save energy and incubate their eggs. The Huddle sold at Bonhams auction on 26 September 2007 for £21,000 (including buyer’s premium).