This was the extremely scarce prototype for the small limited edition teapot, designed, modelled and decorated by Roger Michell at his Lustre Pottery Studio in 1975, (and which was a spin off of the Walking Ware series being hand made at that time) and was based on the Donald McGill seaside postcard which started out with the title "I've Lost My Little Willie". We have seen a postcard with a variation of the title "I can't see My Little Charlie", and believe that as McGill had been prosecuted successfully for obscenity, that the captions went through subsequent transmutations in order to dilute a more obvious sexual innuendo. So, in respect of this design, we believe there was a change in title from the original "I've Lost My Little Willie" to "I can't see My Little Willie" and eventually to "I can't see My Little Charlie". Roger informed me that less than 50 examples of the main edition of the teapot were made in total, It is likely that only a handful of prototypes were made before the main edition. The differences between the prototypes and the main edition examples were that the prototypes are modelled with "Little Willie" seated sideways instead of facing the front, there is no green umbrella in the left hand enlarging the handle and the words "PICTURE POST" are missing from the rolled up magazine in the right hand forming the spout. This particular prototype example was gifted to a friend for his 30th birthday in 1975, and is marked with the number "30" in the middle of the front of the striped bathing costume. Also personally signed by Roger and Danka with their birthday wishes inscribed around the outside of the inner cylindrical lid insert, and with the pot's title "I've Lost My Little Willie" handwritten on the inside of that cylindrical lid insert. Marked to the base with Lustre Pottery's Backstamp for 1975. Dimensions : height : 7 inches cf. Novelty Teapots - Five Hundred Years of Art and Design by Edward Bramah. Quiller Press 1992 page123 item no. 286. Sold
