Description
Antique Staffordshire pottery figure of a standing lion.
The figure is modelled standing on a colourful base.
The figure is the same model for Nero the famous lion.
Nero was a favorite with the English public as part of Wombwell Menagerie.
He was so friendly that he even allowed his keepers to take rides on his back.
One of the less savoury aspects of Wombwell’s exhibitions was lion baiting in which six bull mastiffs were pitched against one lion, with the lion invariably emerging victorious.
Unfortunately for Wombwell his favourite lion, Nero, refused to have anything to do with this, prefering to lie around doing nothing. George therefore had to buy another lion called Wallace to do the fighting.