Staffordshire pottery flatback figure of The Lion Slayer, late 19th century

This elegant Scotsman posing next to his latest hunting trophy and dubbed 'The Lion Slayer' is believed to depict Roualeyn George Gordon-Cumming (1820-1866). Famous for his hunting antics in Africa, his 1850 book ‘Five Years of a Hunter's Life in the Far Interior of South Africa’ propelled him to stardom in his native Great Britain. Perhaps not a celebrity we would be endorsing today…

42 cm high

Fabric swatch: a wonderfully stylised design, Woodland Leopard Velvet in gold is by Schumacher