Rare Victorian mannequin to be auctioned in Banbury

A rare 19th Century life-size mannequin is due to go under under the hammer at auction.

The Victorian model, once used by the renowned sculptor James Butler MBE, was known to the family as Gladys.

It is expected to reach up to £800 at Hansons Auctioneers in Banbury on Wednesday.

Mr Butler’s widow, Angie, said: “I don’t remember where Jim got her from, but we have had her for at least 40 years.”

Mr Butler, who died at the age of 90 in 2022, was known internationally for monumental figurative sculptures, including his 2015 four-metre bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth II.

The statue, showing the monarch in full garter robes, was unveiled at Runnymede, Surrey, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

In 2004 he designed the 50p piece commemorating Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile and, a year later, the £5 coin to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Articulated mannequins have been used by artists since the 16th Century, their rigid poses allowing them to achieve the best depiction of drapery, light and clothing.

Ms Butler explained they are downsizing the large family home in Warwickshire where Gladys had been a “permanent feature” while their daughters were growing up.

She said: “They were partly interested in her and partly terrified by her.

“My husband was a great figurative sculptor and loved the female form. He used the mannequin to see how clothes would fall and then capture it better.”

Jasper Marsh, from Hansons Auctioneers, said: “We discovered Gladys at part of a routine valuation.

“Artists’ lay figures are popular, greatly sought after by collectors and decorators.

“They are valued both as functional tools for artists and as decorative objects for their historical significance and sculptural quality.”

He added: “With her amazing provenance I am sure we will help her find a new home.”