At The Humble Hare, we are thrilled to introduce the latest addition to our luxurious marble platter collection – The Doting Deer! This stunning collection pays homage to the iconic red deer, and brings a touch of the wild into your home. Join us as we delve into the inspiration behind this captivating design...
The inspiration for this collection came from the friendly fallow deer that frequent our family farm in the Essex countryside. These endearing creatures are remarkably brave, often venturing right up to our doorstep, making them a cherished part of our daily lives. Their curious and gentle nature has allowed us to observe them closely, forming a deep appreciation for their grace and beauty.
While our visiting herd are fallow deer, we decided to feature the majestic red deer in The Doting Deer design. As our largest land mammal here in the UK, red deer are an iconic symbol of our landscape. They hold a special place in British culture and history, symbolising the untamed beauty of the countryside. Their impressive antlers and dignified presence make them an enduring emblem of our wild and unspoiled landscapes, and they feature prominently in our folklore, mythology and art. In the Scottish Highlands, deer were fondly referred to as 'fairy cattle', believed to be milked by fairies in the mountains.
In Britain, deer have been associated with royalty and nobility for centuries, and were often featured in coat of arms designs. Stags grow and shed impressive antlers each year, and as they mature their antlers become increasingly adorned with tines or 'points'. Their connection to nobility is demonstrated in the names given to stags with larger antlers... A red deer with 12 points on his antlers is known as a 'Royal' stag, 14 point antlers make an 'Imperial' stag, and the stag that grows antlers with 16 points or more is known as a 'Monarch'. If you count the points on our Doting Deer stag's antlers you'll see that he has 14 points, so is an Imperial stag!
Our artist meticulously created original watercolour paintings on paper to bring The Doting Deer to life. The process begins with a light pencil sketch to define the deer and landscape. Then layer by layer, the rich russet coat of the stag, the doe's subtle elegance, and the fawns' innocent charm were brought to life with translucent layers of watercolour, building depth and texture with each brushstroke.
One of the challenges our artist faced was capturing the character and grace of these magnificent creatures. We painted an abundance of stags, hinds, and fawns to perfect the design, and our dedication to getting every detail right led us to paint enough deer to create our very own herd!
The composition of any Humble Hare design is a collaborative effort, with the entire team involved in shaping the final vision. Once the watercolour paintings and composition were finalised, the design was passed on to our skilled workshop team, who craft the design onto our natural marble stone platters.
The Doting Deer is available in all four marble sizes, ensuring there's a perfect fit for every occasion.
Coaster: Perfect for those cosy moments with your favourite hot drink.
Medium Platter: Your go-to for showing off your culinary creations or as a charming stand for teapots, saucepans and candles.
Large Platter: Ready to make a statement with your dining décor as placemats and cheeseboards.
Sharing Platter: Designed to make your shared dishes look extra inviting.
These beauties are all about adding rustic elegance to your interiors. Whether you're serving snacks, desserts, or just want to spruce up your space, The Doting Deer is the perfect addition to your collection!