If the statue at the left looks familiar to you, you might be a fan of James Bond movies. More on that in a minute.

Royal Doulton started producing tableware and collectables since 1815, but the Bulldog figure with the Union Jack wasn’t made until the 1940s. The statues came to symbolize the steely determination not only of the British character, but of the bravery and determination of the UK’s military, and its Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.  

It seemed fitting, then,  that the statuette would have a role in a James Bond movie. “Jack the Bulldog” sat on the desk of the Head of the Secret Intelligence Service—a figure known only as “M” as played by Judi Dench in the 2012 film, “Skyfall.”  Note: Movie Spoiler Alert ahead: The statue survived an explosion and played a poignant role in the film’s final scenes as it was bequeathed to the one person who disliked it: James Bond. Ardent fans of the 007 legend had a great time picking apart the significance of Jack the Bulldog. Some thought it represented Bond’s hate/love relationship with M. Some thought it was M’s way of getting the last word in their never-ending quarrel. Others thought it was symbolic of M and Bond’s relationship, and that like a loyal dog,  Bond stayed by M’s side until the end.

Perhaps it was simply a plot device. At the end of the film when Bond receives the Bulldog statue in a box, M’s real name is subtly revealed. On a tag on the black box is written: “From the Estate of Olivia Mansfield Bequeathed to James Bond.” M’s real name, revealed!

“Jack” was originally designed by Charles Noke back in the 40s, but was reissued for the movie. We do so admire a sense of humor:  To mark his role in the film, Jack was given the reference number, “DD 007M.”

Though Royal Doulton discontinued the statue, you can still get your own from Amazon, but you’ll have to really want it: It’s priced at $650.00 + $50.00 shipping.