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Susan Parkinson Nessie, a characterful Parkinson Pottery creature with large eyes and zig-zagged grin. The black and white decoration is related to the Picassoettes. Namely, William Newland, Margaret Hine, Nicholas Vergette, James Tower and Dora Billington.
Susan Parkinson Loch Ness Monster, an exceptionally unusual porcelain figure made at Parkinson Pottery in Kent
A close-up of a glossy white ceramic Loch Ness Monster figurine with hand-painted black facial details. 1950s British Modernist ceramic design by Susan Parkinson. Nessie with streamlined sculptural form and expressive decoration is both a rare and beautiful design.
Top down view. Post-war British studio pottery, Susan Parkinson Nessie with characteristic curls and sgraffito decoration.
Susan Parkinson Nessie figurine with reptilian head, zig-zag grin and distinctive fin-like tail
Close-up of the back and tail of a Loch Ness Monster collectable, Susan Parkinson porcelain Nessie designed for the Scottish gift market
Close-up of a white ceramic tail belonging to a Loch Ness Monster figurine. The tail fin is hand-painted with a scroll motif. Created by Susan Parkinson this Nessie ornament is an exceptionally scarce Richard Parkinson Pottery design whose commercial production remains uncertain.
Susan Parkinson Nessie, a scarce mid-century porcelain design closely related to Richard Parkinson Pottery's Dragon figurine
British mid-century ceramic sculpture, Susan Parkinson Loch Ness Monster with simplified aquatic form. Very rare Richard Parkinson Pottery piece.
Susan Parkinson porcelain Nessie with freely painted curls, incised markings and decorative floral motif
Vintage Scottish Nessie collectable, Susan Parkinson Loch Ness Monster created for sale near Loch Ness during the 1950s
Picassoette inspired 1950s British porcelain ceramic figurine of a Loch Ness Monster. Susan Parkinson's Nessie is a brilliantly playful Modernist design from Post-War Britain
Susan Parkinson Loch Ness Monster figurine, an unusual example of expressive post-war British ceramics
Bayswater Group-era British ceramic figurine, Susan Parkinson Nessie an expressive post-war monochrome pottery ornament.
Susan Parkinson porcelain Loch Ness Monster with sculptural body, fin-like tail and spontaneous painted decoration. A very rare Richard Parkinson Pottery figurine.
Base or underside of a collectable post-war British ceramic Nessie. Dating from the 1950's Susan Parkinson Loch Ness Monster sculpture features a small letter stamp impressed into the front right leg.
A close-up of the base or underside of a Susan Parkinson porcelain Loch Ness Monster. The photo details the letter mark impressed into the ornaments front right leg/arm. The Parkinson Pottery is known for using only letter stamps on small objects like this.
Susan Parkinson Nessie porcelain Loch Ness Monster figurine, designed at Parkinson Pottery circa 1955. Rare Post-War British design.
Parkinson Pottery

Susan Parkinson "Nessie"

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A porcelain "Nessie" figurine designed by Susan Parkinson and created at her pottery in Brabourne Lees, Kent, circa 1955.

Susan Parkinson’s Loch Ness Monster is an exceptionally rare undocumented design. “Nessie" was likely created for a gift shop in the vicinity of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Of course, this is the origin story of Parkinson's Mouse (model 71), designed in 1956 for a store in the Cornish fishing village of Mousehole.

Further exploring the context of "Nessie", the design is related to two other mythical beasts created around 1955: Parkinson's 'Dragon' and 'Chimera' figurines. The 'Dragon', produced for a Welsh festival, shares the same reptilian head shape and zig-zagged grin as "Nessie". However, the Loch Ness Monster is, of course, more aquatic in character, with it's streamlined body and tail tipped with an indented fin.

The figure's painted decoration features Parkinson's signature curls and sgraffito marks, while the floral motif that adorns the monster's body perhaps serves to beautify the famous Scottish beast, most commonly referred to as a female.

To reiterate, we have not been able to find another example of this design nor mention of it. No British auction house has knowingly sold the piece. Similarly, the object is not recorded in Carol Cashmore & Tim Vincent-Smith's publication. [1]

As such, the Loch Ness Monster would be one of the most prized additions to any Parkinson collection. Our thoughts on the objects rarity revolve around the specific nature of the design. There is a possibility that, like the Mouse of Mousehole, the "Nessie" figurine was commissioned by one specific shop in or around Inverness. However, unlike mice, "Nessie's" charm was perhaps less transferable to other boutiques around the UK.

[1] Cashmore, Carol and Vincent-Smith, Tim. 'Susan Parkinson and the Richard Parkinson Pottery' (Carol Cashmore, 2004).

Model Number: Unknown.

Model Name: "Nessie" (attributed)

Designer: Susan Parkinson 

Manufacturer: Parkinson Pottery 

Year of Design: C. 1955

Dates Produced: C. 1955

Colour: White, black, grey 

Height: 10 cm, Width: 12 cm, Depth: 6.5 cm 

Condition: Perfect.

Branding: Small test mark "P"