The earliest Bow figures can be dated to 1750 and most figurines of the next few years  are in white, though as at Chelsea were probably painted with cold unfired colours that flaked of long ago,  the modelling is crude, though sometime effective, and even later, more skilfully modelled and enamelled pieces generally have a naïve and primitive look  that is rarely found In Chelsea figures.

The postures of Bow figurines tend to be rather stiff and set, and a doll like face with pouting red lips these red lips and doll like face can be a little disconcerting when found on toy solders. Animals and birds are well modelled, but the vivid naturalism of Chelsea is replaced by a more popular idiom, broader in treatment and often intended to amuse, all the same Chelsea ware was often copied, as was Meissen either directly or via Chelsea.

In many cases it is quite easy to establish a Meissen, Chelsea, Bow sequence, the resembles were particularly close, from the late 1750s to the mid 1760s when Bow tried to reproduce the bright colours, gilding and scroll work of Chelsea's rococo gold anchor period.  Bow modellers were especially partial to settings of leaves and flowers, and on occasions they overdid them terribly, sometimes the human figure is so enmeshed in foliage that it gives the impression of being just on element in a heaving vegetal mass.

Bow figures cover a wide range of subjects.  Apart from those derived from Meissen and Chelsea, the best known are models of contemporary actors. Here to, Bow  porcelain was given a more popular slant than Chelsea, though Chelsea did produce   some figure's of this type.  An earlier pair of theatrical actor characters were Kitty Clive as the fine lady and Henry Woodward as the fine gentleman in Lethe a farce by David Garrick, himself the most famous actor of the day and a subject of a Bow figurine as Richard II. 

Kitty Clive was a particular favourite at Bow and appears  in several guises . Interestingly enough, in one of her roles she is credited with a long list of vices, being a woman who tells lies, buys china, makes mischief, keeps a pug dog, hates parson's, ridicules her friends and coquets with her lovers.  The inclusion of china in this list suggests that there was a great deal of genteel snobbery associated with its ownership, other actors popular enough to be reproduced in Bow porcelain were Peg Woffington  an James Quin.

Bow like Chelsea must have employed may full time modellers and decorators, though only a few are even known by name.  One character who keeps appearing in the history of English porcelain, without much distinction, is certainly Mr Tebo, he was a modeller or repairer who worked not only at Bow  but also at Plymouth An Worcester.  His wanderings may reflect his inability to hold down a job, for when came to work for Josiah Wedgwood at Etruria he was unreliable and incompetent. In his business letters  Wedgwood several times complains of Tebo's inability to capture a likeness, and he was obviously delighted when Tebo went on his way.

Despite the size of their staff, Chelsea and Bow often employed outside decorators, perhaps it was talent rather than labour that was in short supply.  One outside decorator working in London in the early 1750s was none other than William Duesbury who earned about two or three shillings for each figure that he enamelled, Ironically, both Bow and Chelsea sent him porcelain to paint, so putting bread into the mouth of a man who was to take over both concerns.

When supply's of white china from London factories began to fall of , Duesbury went to work at Long Hall as an enameller, and from there went on to become the moving spirit of the Derby factory.



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