'Skyfall' bulldog now the hottest desk accessory

Melbourne, Nov 27 (IANS) A bone china figurine of a bulldog that was part of the desk of Judi Dench's character M in the new James Bond film "Skyfall" has become the hottest "must-have" desk accessory, with 2,500 sold out and 4,000 more being ordered.

Complete with a Union Jack-emblazoned back, the bulldog -- named Jack -- was made by renowned brand Royal Doulton, Australian daily The Age reported.

Jack gets a lot of screen time, sitting centrestage on the desk of the MI6 boss. The figurine is later given to Bond after M's death.

Jack was modelled to the exact shape and size of his earthenware forbear that was created in 1941.

"Since the 19th century, the bulldog has come to symbolise the steely determination of the British character," Carolyn Cavanough, Royal Doulton's commercial licensing manager, was quoted as saying.

"Wartime prime minister Winston Churchill had an uncanny facial resemblance to the dog, with its fleshy and drooping jowls, and the 1940s saw a plethora of bulldog-linked propaganda and imagery," she said.

Before his Bond-linked reincarnation, Jack had gone out of manufacture. The original Jacks have been selling on the secondary market for about $1,800.

The reborn Jack has an ID backstamp - "DD007" (stands for Doulton Dog) - and for $80 comes kennelled in a special "Skyfall" box sleeve.

Within a few weeks of the movie launch, 2,500 Jacks sold out on Royal Doulton's website, and another 4,000 are being made.

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