Wally dog figurines are matching pairs of pottery dogs, standing guard, which were habitually placed on mantlepieces in 19th to early 20th century homes. They usually wore collars and chain leads around their necks and were often spaniels. They were produced in many Scottish potteries in the 19th century but the name “Wally” comes from the Great Wall of China.

Today, the dogs are very valuable, especially if you own a matching, undamaged pair from the 1920’s. The dogs were a symbol of wealth and status back in the 1920’s and if you had a pair of them, you were showing you could afford to spend money on unnecessary things instead of just the essentials.

This post was written and created by Holly Kerr.