Ceramics

Both the incised mark at the base and the small round sticker (see image 9) show this to be the work of the distinguished Irish Potter, Michael Kennedy who established his first studio at Sligo, Co Sligo, in 1979 and then a second studio at Gort, Co Gallway. Kennedy was a prolific and popular ceramic artist who was also happy to pass on his skills guiding many young potters at the start of their careers, some of whom went on to open successful potteries of their own. His work at Sligo was distinguished by the imaginative use of purple, pink and blue glazes of which this jug is an excellent example. There are various forms of his signature but the one here, possibly mainly used on his earlier works, is perhaps the most typical, a stick figure within a circle followed by the letters ‘Kennedy’. Michael Kennedy sadly died unexpectedly in 2021, but his works live on and can be seen in homes and galleries in Ireland and abroad.

Radnor was the trade name used by Hall Bros (Longton) Ltd. Hall Brothers was a China manufacturer based at the Radnor Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England which traded from 1947 until its liquidation in 1972. It produced figures, birds, toby jugs and floral ware, mainly small porcelain boxes which were distinguished by their decoration of finely modelled flowers (see image XX for an advert from the 1960s). This box is a typical example and survives in excellent condition with just a very small amount of near inevitable damage to the petals.

The Doulton pottery originally had its first factory in Lambeth, London. Set up in 1815 by John Doulton, who is rumoured to have spent his life savings of £100 in starting the business, the firm concentrated on making pipes and utilitarian works. But in the 1880s the Company moved to Staffordshire and began making fine bone china tableware and decorative items. The pottery was located in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent and has manufactured high quality ceramics and porcelains ever since, receiving a Royal Warrant in 1901.

This piece is typical of the glazed pottery pieces made in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A muted palette of colours was used and a variety of forms created with many artists taking a hand in the decoration. Most of the pieces are signed, as here. The pattern number indicates a date after 1894, but the Royal Warrant mark means a dating in the early 1900s. Perhaps a timing in the Edwardian era (1901-1910) is the most likely.

This vase is an excellent example of the creative designs which Doulton produced. As often, there is a slight Oriental influence but the style and design are unmistakeable.

The various figures were made in white glazed porcelain with coloured decoration. The compositions were sculptural and often accompanied by an inscription, as here. Many models are known. Two typical examples are 'Returning from the Ball' and 'Twelve Months after Marriage' but the most common example is represented here 'The last in bed to put out the light'. A couple are seen climbing into a covered bed at the foot of which stands a candle in a holder. These candles are usually broken off, most likely because of simple damage over the years but it has been suggested that this was done deliberately for good luck.

Some of the fairing figurines are marked, as here. In comparison with the previous Lot 4, this example has a glazed circular mark which reads 'Made in Germany'. These marks appear on the later productions of the Conta factory and indicate a dating here to shortly before the First World War. This is consistent with the rather 'brassy' looking gilding used which is typical of ceramic production generally post 1900.

It is interesting to compare Lots 4 and 5 and to see how consistent the manufacture was throughout the period. Only the glazed base with its circular mark and the type of gilt decoration separate this example from its earlier companion.

Fairings have been collectors' items for many years now and still hold a naif charm which makes them appealing display items, with a history of their own.

The bowl featured here is indeed marked ‘1409’ (see image 8) alongside a form of the name ‘Spode’ which dates to before 1821 (Leonard Whiter : Spode p224). It most likely derives from the service which Whiter once saw complete but has now, presumably, been dispersed. The pattern with its vivid palette of red, blue and gold and floral decoration is a lavish reinterpretation of the ‘Imari’ wares which had been exported to the West in great quantities by the Chinese in the eighteenth century and the Japanese before them. These pieces took their name from their port of export in Japan, Imari; they were actually made at Arita in the former Hizen province. Amongst the wares exported by the Chinese were extensive dinner services and their popularity caused them to be copied and imitated by many of the English potteries from early 1800s onwards, indeed a near identical and contemporary version of this pattern was produced by Coalport.

The square form bowl, indented at the corners and curving inwards towards the base, was a classic Chinese form and is usually referred to as a salad bowl. The standard Chinese dinner service would have had a pair of these, but the shape is rarely found in the English dinner wares made in imitation. Its occurrence here combined with a firmly dateable early nineteenth century pattern in an opulent design which has survived in a remarkable state of preservation makes this very much a ‘one off’ piece and a highly desirable addition to a collection of nineteenth century decorative ceramics.

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Born in 1885 at Lille, France, Louis Dage was early known as a ceramics artist, describing himself on the birth registration of his daughter in 1906 as a ‘decorator on faience’. In 1920 he joined with Louis Fontinelle (1886-1964) to create a faience factory in Antony, near Paris, but the venture was short lived and they parted company two years later. In 1930, Dage set up his own studio at Saint-Sever in company with his brother and daughter becoming managing director of the firm three years later. There then followed a little over thirty years of production under his direction until his death in 1961. Art Deco designs with their simple lines and bold decoration were produced initially to be followed by pieces of more rugged shapes and patterns, partly resulting from the shortage of conventional raw materials during the second world war.

This bowl and cover represents the best of Dage’s earlier work. The base has straight sides curving in slightly towards the base and has a flush fitting flat and gently domed cover overhanging slightly at the edge. The piece is covered overall with a mottled glaze in tones of blue and light aubergine on which are painted maple leaves in green with bright blue berries, a design which can be found on some of Dage’s other pieces (see image 13). The lid carries his signature ‘DAGE’ with a flowing line underneath, a much less common version of the Dage mark but which can be found elsewhere (see image 14). More normally pieces are signed ‘L.Dage’, the name being in lower case rather than capitals.Form and decoration combine to produce a striking object, characteristic of the fashions of the time of its production and a worthy tribute to its maker.

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It took time for Germany to rebuild after the Second World War and it was not until 1949 that the country regained its national identity. The production of ceramics slowly revived and began to gain momentum in the 1950s eventually reaching a total of over one hundred companies and studio potteries. Some of the concerns produced a substantial output including Carstens, Bay, ES, and Dümler & Breiden but the most prolific of all was Scheurich. In 1927 Alois Scheurich established with a partner a company named ‘Scheurich and Greulich’ (S&G) which focused on producing low cost ceramic and glass items (see image 7). The success of this business provided the springboard for the creation of ‘Scheurich KG Keramikfabrik’ in 1954. While it commenced production rather later than some of its competitors it soon grew to overtake them and the glaze colourings for which it became best known were produced in the 1970s. Eventually the firm changed direction yet again and is now known for producing ceramic garden ornaments which have an international appeal.

Most of the Scheurich pieces are marked, nearly always with two sets of numbers ‘XXX-XX’ and the wording ‘W.GERMANY’, although there are variants. The firm’s name can appear in addition, as here, where we see as well ‘SCHEURICH KERAMIK’, and it is thought that this indicates a later dating to the 1970s/1980s. The first three numbers are the model number and the last two the height in centimetres, here ‘259-41’. ‘259’, as with nearly all the model numbers, was made with a wide variety of glaze colourings and effects. Equally, similar colours and patterns were used on different models. The shape is one of the firm’s most successful. The cylindrical body narrows gently towards the base and has a well defined shoulder with a concave neck and an inturning rim. The bright orange at the centre is bordered with and divided by irregular black ‘crusty effect’ bands. These are an excellent example of the apocryphally named ‘lava’ glaze for which Scheurich was so well known. Either side of this are two sections of grey speckle glaze which complete the whole. The vase is glazed brown inside and at the base which has the factory markings in raised lettering. Similar glaze combinations can be found on other pieces but the result is rarely as successful as here and the colour scheme used enhances the classic simplicity of the shape, loosely derived from a Chinese original.

This is a vase to appeal to decorators and collectors alike and is very much a ‘one off’ example of these popular wares standing rather apart from its many companions.

There were, in fact, two craftsmen working in the C20th British pottery industry with the name Edward Radford, father and son. Radford senior worked for Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian Pottery in Manchester from 1903 until his retirement in 1936, acting as their main thrower. Radford junior joined his Father in 1905, but the First World War intervened, in which he won a Military Cross for his actions at Passchendaele in 1917 and afterwards he settled in Stoke on Trent, the heart of Britain’s pottery industry. An association developed with H.J.Wood’s Alexandra Pottery in Burslem who produced a range of wares bearing his name in the 1930s, although Radford himself may have acted as more a salesman than the designer. Production continued after the war and even after Radford’s retirement in 1948. The form of mark used here implies the later dating but may have been used earlier. The impressed figures indicate model number. Even if this vase is post war, the style is emphatically that of pre war Art Deco period with the simple lines of the form accompanied by semi abstract decoration vaguely reminiscent of Clarice Cliff combining to produce a piece of timeless attraction.

Burslem in Staffordshire was one of the famous six ‘pottery towns’ and immortalised in the novels of Arnold Bennett as ‘Bursley’. The firm Thomas Ford and Sons began its production there in the late nineteenth century, continuing until 1938 when the business was purchased by Oswald Shufflebottom who renamed it Ford & Sons (Crownford) Ltd. The trade name ‘Crownford’ had been adopted quite early on by the Ford family and was kept by the Shufflebottom family until the late 1980s. The ‘Crownford Burslem’ wares were mostly produced in the fashionable Art Deco style during the late 1920s and 1930s and this coffee pot is a fine and representative example of their work.

The Langley Mill Pottery was located in Langley Mill, Derbyshire on the Derbyshire – Nottinghamshire border. From its establishment in 1865 to its final closure in 1982, it went through five distinct periods of ownership, producing a wide range of stoneware ranging from utilitarian items and to high quality art pottery. This pair of vases dates from the third company that traded there, Lovatt and Lovatt. The Lovatt family had entered into partnership with the owner of the founding business at Langley Mill, James Calvert. From 1895 the business was in sole control of the Lovatt family and traded as ‘Lovatt and Lovatt’ until 1935. The early years of the twentieth century proved to be something of a zenith for them and a wide range of art pottery pieces were made which enjoyed great popularity. Production techniques were streamlined without a reduction in quality and in 1905, leadless glazes were introduced. These are proudly announced on the base of this pair of vases which are an excellent example of the Lovatt and Lovatt style and probably date to 1912, indicated by the impressed numbers for that year.

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A pair of ceramic figures depicting two Chinese figures seated cross legged, usually termed an Emperor and an Empress. They are modelled dressed in colourful and patterned robes fastened with sashes at the waist and with frill collars. The lady holds a fan and the gentleman a pipe and both hold parasols fitted to their hands by wire and with decoration to the undersides. The heads are made separately, weighted at the bottom (see images 7, 13) and have wire supports to the side which rest on wires on each side of the top interior which are secured through holes on the exterior at the front and back. When pushed, the heads then move in a most lifelike fashion. The hollow interiors are glazed white with an unglazed foot rim, but there are no marks.

So called ‘nodding head’ figures began to be exported from China to the West in the mid eighteenth century following a tradition which dated back many years before. The figures were drawn from the Court or Chinese high society and at first were made from clay or wood with painted decoration, necessarily rather delicate interior accessories. A pair can be seen in the background of a picture painted by Zoffany of Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) with her two eldest Sons depicting an interior at Buckingham house (now Buckingham Palace) and dated to 1764 (see image 15). Rather larger models, almost life size, were displayed in the Gallery of the Brighton pavilion, reflecting the passion of the Prince Regent, George IV (1762–1830) for Chinoiserie in general.

But the form was also taken up by the kilns at Jingdezhen and the decorators at Canton and ceramic ‘nodding head’ figures were soon exported too, brightly painted in the popular ‘Famille Rose’ enamels (see image 16 for a typical example from the Qianlong period, 1736-1795). Sensing the popularity of the type, European manufacturers too began to produce their own versions, rather different from the Chinese originals and usually depicting the figures seated which was much less common for the Eastern examples. The most well known examples were made by Meissen and tended to have both moving heads and hands as well (see image 17) but a less expensive version of these (see image 18) was made by the firm Ernst Bohne & Sohne, prolific manufacturers of modest ceramic ornaments for the domestic interior including the well known ‘fairing’ figurines, examples of which can be seen elsewhere on this site. There are also figures with their mark which exactly resemble the model type offered in this sale, complete with the parasol, so it is a reasonable assumption that this pair of figures can be attributed to them as well. While perhaps less grand than their companions, this pair of eastern potentates have a charm of their own and, when set in motion, are uncannily lifelike. Gilbert and Sullivan for the 21st century!

Kiralpo ware was one of the trade names used by Kirkland and Co, earthenware and ceramic manufacturers based at the Albion Pottery, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England who traded from 1891 to 1938 when the business was bought and renamed by Mr A.E.Gray. The format of the mark gives a dating between 1928 and 1938 with ‘E’ standing for Etruria. Kirkland and Co made various modest but colourful decorative items to furnish the home. In a 1907 guide they are described as ‘general earthenware, fancy goods, and majolica manufacturers’. Their designs were not sophisticated but obviously had a popular appeal and this set with its bold transfer decoration of birds set within a rather vivid pink border is typical of their work.

Although not marked as such, this vase has all the hallmarks of the firm Scheurich Keramik which started production in 1954, rather later than most of its competitors, but soon became the largest producer of commercial art pottery in Germany. Their pieces rarely carried the factory name but usually the model number followed by the height in centimetres with ‘W.Germany’ below, as here. Model ‘517’ can be found in a variety of different glazes but the pattern and colourings here, more muted than some of Sheurich’s work and with a matt finish, are particularly pleasing and complement the elegant form most successfully. Dating is to the 1960s.

This fine quality vase is from the Maya range made by Poole Pottery, some of the pieces still being in production today and described in the maker’s catalogue as follows “Poole Pottery’s Maya collection is inspired by British landscapes and earthy tones. The greens and blues in this stunning range represent the earth meeting the sky in a natural yet bold design. Here at Poole Pottery, all our Maya ceramics are hand-cast and made using our signature reactive glaze in the famous Middleport Pottery in Staffordshire. The distinctive pieces you see here are created via our Living Glaze technique, where layers of colourful glazes react with one another to create a unique, glossy and dynamic finish.” But this particular form does not appear in the current catalogue and does not seem to be otherwise available. The form of the mark appears on other Poole pieces of more recent manufacture and dating is probably to around twenty years ago. The initials are for the artist’s signature and Poole write “Items are personalised with the artist's own individual mark, adding value to the collectability of each piece.” Given its scarcity, this vase would make an interesting addition to a collection of Poole Pottery aside from being a highly decorative item in its own right.

There were, in fact, two craftsmen working in the C20th British pottery industry with the name Edward Radford, father and son. Radford senior worked for Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian Pottery in Manchester from 1903 until his retirement in 1936, acting as their main thrower. Radford junior joined his Father in 1905, but the First World War intervened, in which he won a Military Cross for his actions at Passchendaele in 1917 and afterwards he settled in Stoke on Trent, the heart of Britain’s pottery industry. An association developed with H.J.Wood’s Alexandra Pottery in Burslem who produced a range of wares bearing his name in the 1930s, although Radford himself may have acted as more a salesman than the designer. Production continued after the war and even after Radford’s retirement in 1948. The form of mark used here implies a later dating and both the shape, indicated by the model number underneath which is found on other vases with different decoration, and the decoration itself suggest the post war era, probably in the 1950s. There is, though, a modest charm here which would blend comfortably with a modern interior.

The Paragon China Company, formerly the Star China Company (see Lot XX), produced high quality gift items from 1920 to 1971, at first independently and then in alliance with other companies, finally being absorbed by Royal Doulton in 1972 who kept the ‘Paragon’ name until 1991. Commemorative wares were a speciality and this cup is a fine example.

The company Søholm Stentøj was founded by Herman Sonne Wolffsen and Edvard Christian Sonne in 1835 at Rønne, the principal town of Bornholm, a Danish island off the south coast of Sweden. One of the most respected of the Danish potteries it continued producing a wide range of ceramics until the firm closed in 1996. Noomi Backhausen was a designer for Søholm from 1966 to 1990 and set up her own pottery in Rønne in 1996 after the closure of her old employers. This wall vase is a typical example of her abstract organic designs and would be a worthy addition to a collection of twentieth century Danish design.

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John Jelfs was born in Exeter, Devon in 1946 and studied ceramics at the Cheltenham College of Art. In 1973, alongside his wife Jude, also a skilled potter in her own right, he set up his own studio, The Cotswold Pottery Company, in the Cotswolds at Bourton on the Water, from where he has been producing ceramics in a wide variety of forms for over fifty years and still continues to work today. Every piece of his pottery is unique, being made entirely by hand and with the decoration kept to a minimum. Wherever possible locally sourced ingredients of clays, limestone and woodash are used for his glazes of celadon, ochre and shino (a white colour glaze developed in Japan sometimes with red,orange or black spotting).

Jelfs writes himself “From my first exposure to studio pottery I was immediately excited by the work of the late Bernard Leach and his lifelong friend the Japanese potter Shoji Hamada. It was the strength and quietness of their pots which most excited me about their work. For the past few years, I have been concentrating on a range of forms, to which I have applied olive/celadon, ochre and shino glazes made up from wood ash and clay, ingredients both local to my studio. The pots are all hand-thrown from a blend of West-country clays, and are often altered while still soft on the wheel. They are fired twice, the first to biscuit (1000 degrees centigrade) and the second firing to stoneware (1300 degrees Centigrade) in a gas kiln. I use a long firing cycle as this brings out the subtlety and depth in my glazes.”

In more recent years, the construction of a new kiln allowed Jelfs to develop the use of ‘soda glazes’, a complex firing process in which a vapour glaze made of sodium oxide (soda) glazes the clay body of the pottery during the firing process. Sodium materials are introduced into the kiln, usually with a nozzle, at a high temperature of over approximately 1280°C (2350°F). The soda then evaporates and the flame carries the vapour within the kiln, landing on the hot pottery pieces where it fuses with the materials in the clay and any slip decoration applied to it. The soda vapours are colourless and it is the reaction on contact that produces a wide range of colours and textures.

“Since the soda fuses to the surfaces of the work in this way, it blurs the line between pot and glaze/surface; they become one.” — Harrison Levenstein

This elegantly potted vase is a prime example of the technique and the wide variety of glaze effects and textures can be seen and admired. As often, the base is unglazed and in this case marked with the artist's stamp ‘JJ’. The earliest pieces were given an impressed ‘swan’ mark soon to be followed with the wording ‘Bourton on the Water’ in addition. The simple mark of the artist’s initials seems to be later which fits with the use of the ‘soda glaze’ technique developed some years after the pottery studio was set up. Jelfs' work has been widely exhibited in leading galleries including Galerie Besson and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Alpha House in Sherborne, Beaux Arts, Bath, and the Rufford Ceramics Centre in Nottingham. It is also included in many collections around the world and our vase would make a fine addition to any of them.

Founded by Eduard Bay in the 1930s and based in Ransbach Baumbach in the heart of the main West German pottery producing region, Bay Keramik grew to be one of the most prolific producers of ceramics in the ‘West German’ style and continued production into the 1990s. This piece retains its original paper label and the format of this allows dating to the 1970s/1980s. The jug has almost a slightly rustic feel and recalls much earlier German ceramic items. The numbers on the base indicate the form number but it has not been possible to identify this.

‘SylvaC’ (the name was written with a capital ‘C’ after registration of the trademark in 1938) was a trade name of Shaw and Copestake, a company formed by Mr. William Shaw and a Mr. Copestake around 1900. Mr. Copestake sold his shares to a Mr. Richard Hull after about six months of business and this partnership continued until Mr. Hull’s death in 1935. He was succeeded by his son, Mr. Richard Hull junior. In the following year, the business became a limited company. Various mergers and acquisitions followed and in the 1950s new premises were built and production expanded considerably continuing until the early 1980s when changing markets and increased competition forced the company into liquidation.

Sylvac were famous for imaginative glazed wares, particularly animals, and this jug is a typical and pleasing example of their work.

The Doulton factory began production in 1815, first at Vauxhall and later moving to Lambeth. In 1882 it opened an additional factory at Burslem, Stoke on Trent in the centre of the English pottery. Known at first mainly for utilitarian works it began to develop decorative wares more extensively in the 1860s and soon gained a reputation for its distinctive designs. As the mark indicates, this piece was made at the Lambeth factory and the absence of ‘England’ in the Doulton mark, which has the typical design of interlocking ‘D’ at its centre, indicates that it dates to before 1891. The decorative technique, employing impressed designs was known as ‘Chine’ ware and protected by the patent ‘Doulton and Slaters Patent’ which is clearly marked underneath. Pieces of linen, lace, net or other fabrics were pressed onto the unfired soft clay shortly after potting, leaving a corresponding pattern behind. This piece has elaborately modelled lotus strands in addition as well as gilt flower heads, an unusual combination which does not seem to often occur. On the base are found stamped numbers and letters which should indicate the pattern number and artist decorator but it has not been possible to identify these accurately. Dating though is confirmed and this was clearly a deluxe item amongst the range of pieces produced at that time.

The factory mark, a shallow dish superimposed over the letter 'H' inside a circle, is that of the East German pottery VEB Haldensleben. VEB stands for 'Volkseigener Betrieb', meaning a people-owned enterprise and used in relationship to the state owned workplaces in the GDR. Haldensleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and a ceramics factory was created there in 1945 with the nationalization of the Carstens Uffrecht plant that followed the division of Germany at the end of WWII. Halsdenleben focused primarily on the manufacture of vases. Its output tended to be of superior quality and employed more restrained glazes than those used by its West German counterparts. Upon the reunifucation of Germany in 1990, the factory was returned to its original owners, the Carstens family. The pattern number here is found on other pieces with the same shape but the abstract decoration used is quite individual and evocative of 1950s and early 1960s designs.

The Paragon China Company, formerly the Star China Company (see Lot XX), produced high quality gift items from 1920 to 1971, at first independently and then in alliance with other companies, finally being absorbed by Royal Doulton in 1972 who kept the ‘Paragon’ name until 1991. Commemorative wares were a speciality and this cup is a fine and typical example.

This is a classic example of the early work of the distinguished British studio potter Alan Wallwork whose pieces now appear in many collections and galleries (see images 15,16). Born in Watford, Hertfordshire, in 1931, Wallwork’s training included a one year spell at Goldsmith’s after which he taught in local schools and then opened his first gallery at Forest Hill in 1958 where he both sold pieces by Lucie Rie and Kenneth Clark, amongst others, and also developed his own work. Eventually finding this too small he moved to a studio in Greenwich where he sold items to Heal’s and the Craft Potters Association, moving yet again to Dorset in 1965 where he continued production for many years. After an illness in the late 1990s, Wallwork opened yet another studio in France in 2004 where he continued to pot but with a rather reduced output. In his last years, his health unfortunately declined and he died in Dorset in 2019.

Wallwork’s work, distinguished by its rugged rustic forms enjoyed great popularity throughout his lifetime. In 2012 he wrote “My pots have no deep ‘message’, or not consciously. They have the simple forms I personally warm to and I try to give them a variety of pattern and texture that I find sympathetic to the touch, not just the eye. Colour is not all important, but surface is. I hope my pots invite being picked up and felt.”

The form of this piece, often described as ‘totem’, dates it to the years in Greenwich, 1960-1965, (see the website alanwallwork.co.uk for more detail on this). In common with other examples it is signed with a single ‘W’ which indicates that it was a studio or apprentice piece rather than hand produced by Wallwork himself, who usually marked his own pieces with both his initials ‘AW’, see ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p517). But this should not detract from the vase itself which retains the distinctive appeal of his work and is a particularly striking shape enhanced by the ‘native’ decoration.

While close to the Chinese originals, many features indicate European and indeed English manufacture, in particular the drawing of the ladies’ heads, the palette of colours used, the borders employed and, most importantly, the glaze and paste of the reverse. The most likely producer here was the Worcester factory whose ‘Mandarin’ pieces were well known and a circa date in the second half of the eighteenth century is reasonable. The saucers would have come from a small tea service with matching bowls and various serving items, including, of course, a teapot. Not so likely to be used now, they provide an elegant example of the vogue for Chinoiserie in England at the time.

Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines. A pair of Art Deco green glazed ‘salts’ are also included in this sale. The ‘Bramble’ design was created in the 1950s and a wide variety of tea service shapes were produced in the pattern. Collectors today can attempt to assemble examples from the whole of the range, towards which these three pieces might provide some assistance.

There has been a pottery at the small Welsh town of Ewenny since 1610, the area around being, at the time, a fertile source of clay. In the early 1800s Evan Jenkins married Mary, the daughter of then owner John Morgan, and this began a period of ownership by the Jenkins family which continues today, the studio and shop being run by Alun Jenkins and his daughter Caitlin, who is the eighth generation member of the business. Their mark can be seen at ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p157). Production has tended to concentrate on modest utilitarian items, hand potted and finished with the distinctive glazes for which the studio is known which involve dipping the pot in one glaze adding another with the splash technique and firing the item so that the two glazes fuse. The effects seen on this vase are typical of their work as is also the clear evidence of hand throwing. Ewenny pieces are made and sold today, but the current catalogue does not list items exactly similar to this, so a late twentieth century dating is the most likely.

Known for its ceramics since Roman times, when the deposits of clay found locally acted as stimulus for the production of pottery, the French Riviera town of Vallauris has been called the ‘city of 100 potters’. Pottery has been made there continuously since the classical period with a growth in production in the late nineteenth century followed by the establishment of various well known ateliers in the twentieth and the residence of Picasso himself who is said to have produced over 3500 pieces there.

Jean Gerbino Jean Gerbino (1876-1966) was a Sicilian ceramicist, who took French citizenship in 1928. He settled eventually in Vallauris and developed a unique technique combining mosaic and nériage (a mixture of coloured clays). The clays are coloured with oxides, hardened, and then assembled into plates to create colourful and distinctive mosaic patterns. These plates are then moulded, dried, and fired. The resulting forms are both distinctive and highly decorative, modern with a hint of the Art Deco era.

The mark for Doulton is one of the standard impressed 'Royal Doulton England' marks where the lettering forms part of a circle combined with three thick lines and the centre is filled with four interlocking 'D's. The addition of a lion but not with the usual accompanying crown allows a fairly precise dating to between 1923 and 1927 which matches with the pattern number ‘8546’, one of the range of numbers used between 1924 and 1927. The artist’s signature cannot be identified but he/she produced a pair of vases of great skill and charm which follow the Art Deco trends fashionable at the time.

Although not marked with their name (few pieces were until the later years of production) this vase has all the hallmarks of the Scheurich factory founded in 1954 by Alois Scheurich who had been a partner before then in the firm ‘Scheurich and Greulich’ (S&G) since 1927. While founded later than many of its competitors, Scheurich grew to become the principal exporter of West German ceramics through until the 1980s and beyond, making vases in a wide variety of shapes and designs. This piece is rather more austere than many of their productions and the clean lines of the form combined with the rather stark decoration perhaps make it particularly suitable for a contemporary interior.

This vase is typical of one of these later creations and copies an eighteenth century original which itself was based on Chinese pieces. The marks underneath, although some of them are blurred, offer a clue to the dating. Below an ‘A’ at the top can be seen a vase which stands for ‘De Porcelyne Fles (The Porcelain Bottle) a factory which was established in 1653 and continues production today. There follow the initials ‘JT’ as a monogram standing for Joost Thooft who bought the factory in 1876 and below this ‘Delft’. At the bottom are usually found the painter’s initials to the left and letters to the right which are the date mark. On this vase these are unclear but the painter’s initials read ‘MA’ which appears to stand for M.H.van Aalst who worked for the firm from 1941to 1983. This would fit with a likely dating here to the second half of the twentieth century, but the artist has successfully recreated the work of his predecessors and produced a piece of great charm.

Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines.

This pair of salts is rather different to many of their productions and have a distinctly ‘Art Nouveau’ feel but, in fact, date to the 1950s when this particular format of the factory mark was used. It seems to be one of the rarer forms and pairs are even rarer still, so definitely one for Wade collectors!

There has been a pottery at the small Welsh town of Ewenny since 1610, the area around being, at the time, a fertile source of clay. In the early 1800s Evan Jenkins married Mary, the daughter of then owner John Morgan, and this began a period of ownership by the Jenkins family which continues today, the studio and shop being run by Alun Jenkins and his daughter Caitlin, who is the eighth generation member of the business. Their mark can be seen at ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p157). Production has tended to concentrate on modest utilitarian items, hand potted and finished with the distinctive glazes for which the studio is known which involve dipping the pot in one glaze adding another with the splash technique and firing the item so that the two glazes fuse. The effects seen on this jug are typical of their work as is also the clear evidence of hand throwing. Ewenny pieces are made and sold today, but the current catalogue does not list items exactly similar to this, so a late twentieth century dating is the most likely.

Guido Cacciapuoti was a celebrated Italian ceramicist. Born in Naples in 1892 and from a family with a tradition in the creation of majolica pottery, Guido exhibited his work widely in the 1920s and finally, in collaboration with his brother, Mario, and Angelo Bignami as the administrative and commercial director, he founded the factory ‘Gres d'Arte Cacciapuoti Bignami & C.' in Milan in 1927. Mario unfortunately died three years later leaving Guido to carry on on his own until his death in 1953.

In the 1930s, Guido’s workshop became famous for the production of ceramic animal sculptures with fish being a particular speciality. More commonly seen are groups of John Dory, again with a red glaze, but the smoother lines here and the particularly intense colour reflect more closely the contemporary Art Deco style. Sought after in their own time, with patrons such as the King of Italy and Mussolini, Guido’s works are highly collectible today and this group would make a striking addition to a collection of Art Deco ceramics with considerable decorative appeal.

The form here is a miniature version of the Chinese ‘Monteith’ first produced in the early to mid eighteenth century. The wavy rim was designed to hold the stems of glasses which were stood to cool in iced water placed in the interior. The style of the decoration is in Chinese Export taste as well, but dating here is to the C20th probably around the 1960s. Some similar examples have Chinese seal marks and one the name of a Chinese manufacturer implying that these pieces were most likely made in China but this does not assist with establishing their age. Purely decorative objects then with no intent to deceive but amusing creations in themselves and pleasing to a contemporary eye.

Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines.

This vase was designed to hold a small bunch of flowers and was produced in a variety of sizes and colours, green being the most common. The form has an almost ‘neo classical’ feel but the piece dates to the 1950s when this particular format of the factory mark was used.

Please note that the stands are for display purposes only.

Broadstairs Pottery was founded by David White in 1968 as a successor to an earlier firm Thanet Pottery. For the mark, see ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p534). White worked there with assistants, some of whose initials appear on the pieces produced, until 1983 when he closed to business to concentrate on his own work, an example of which can be seen elsewhere in this sale. Both the incised geometric bands and the pronounced ridging effects are hallmarks of the firm’s output and this bowl and cover, marked only with the factory name, is a classic example of its productions.

The influence of the Art Nouveau movement, with its emphasis on organic and plant forms, is clearly seen here. The vases date to the early 1900s and were made by the ‘Grainger and Co’ branch of the celebrated Royal Worcester factory. The first porcelain factory at Worcester was set up in 1751 by John Wall (a doctor) and William Davis (an apothecary), along with 14 other businessmen. Fifty years later in 1801 Thomas Grainger (1783–1839) started a rival company ‘Grainger’s Worcester Porcelain’ and during the nineteenth century both companies traded successfully. However following the death of George Grainger, the son of Thomas Grainger, in 1889 the Grainger factory was sold to Royal Worcester who continued manufacture on its old rival firm’s St.Martin’s Gate site until finally closing the works in 1902. Ivory style porcelains were one of the specialities of this brief manufacturing period and the date mark ‘L’ which appears on these vases is for the year 1902, just before the two concerns were completely merged.

Although not marked as such, this vase has all the hallmarks of the firm Scheurich Keramik which started production in 1954, rather later than most of its competitors, but soon became the largest producer of commercial art pottery in Germany. Their pieces rarely carried the factory name but usually the model number followed by the height in centimetres with ‘W-Germany’ below, as here. Model ‘517’ can be found in a variety of different glazes but the colourings here with the contrast between browns and cream are particularly successful. Dating is to the 1960s.

Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines.

Many of their pieces were designed to act as small containers for flowers and trinkets and this piece is a particularly amusing example of the type. Two colour ranges exist, one as here and one with much darker tones which is held to be later. Dating here, then, is most likely to the 1950s/1960s when the Wade production lines were in full swing and enjoying considerable popularity.

Although ‘Kamini’ is both the Greek word for a kiln and the name of a village on the Greek island of Hydra, it actually stands here for the Greek firm of that name whose registered office was at Kallithea, a suburb of Athens. The Kamini pottery produced a wide range of appealing but often slightly rustic wares in the 1970s, many with the splash glaze effects we see here and all stamped with the firm’s name. This vase stands out somewhat for the simple lines of its form and the variety of effects in its decoration with a particularly pleasing palette of colours and demonstrates that this Mediterranean pottery could well rival at times the work of some of its European competitors.

The firm Bretby was the result of an amalgamation between Henry Tooth and William Ault who formed a partnership in 1883. Both had previously worked at the Linthorpe pottery established by Christopher Dresser in 1879 and retained a comnnection with the celebrated designer even after striking out on their own. Success came early and the firm won a gold award in the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1884, patenting their trademark with its sunburst design above the name Bretby in the same year. Ault left the partnership in 1887 to set up his own business under his own name but Henry Tooth continued to oversee production until his death in 1918, the business then remaining under the control of the Tooth family until it was sold in 1933. Production continued, though, well into the twentieth century until the firm closed around in the late 1990s.

This piece is typical of their earlier work with a nod to both the art nouveau style and Dresser himself, particularly in the shape of the handles. ‘Hammered’ decoration was typical of the Arts and Crafts movement popular at the time and the applied floral decoration has some parallels with Japanese pieces again much in vogue at that period. Similar pieces are known with the same shape and pattern number (1742) which seems itself also to indicate an early twentieth century dating, but the applied decoration seen here is unusual.

Price Bros was an earthenware manufacturer established at the Crown Works, Burslem, Staffordshire, England, in 1896 by the Price brothers. They specialised in tabletop accessories and teapots and success was rapid such that in 1934 they moved to larger premises at the Top Bridge Works in Longport, where they became known as Price Bros Ltd. A close association with another firm, Kensington Potteries, was finally cemented when the two firms merged in 1962 taking on the name ‘Price and Kensington’ and continuing to manufacture their popular wares to the present day. This vase is typical of the decorative pieces which Price Bros produced during the 1930s and, as with so much of the pottery produced at that time, it reflects the Art Deco styles, particularly in the semi abstract shape. This vase was mould made as can be seen from the joins at each side (see image 7) but there is nothing mechanical about the finished result with its pleasing combination of colour and decoration.

Duxer Porzellanmanufaktur, or the Dux Porcelain Manufactory, was started in 1860 by Eduard Eichler in what was then Duchov, Bohemia, later to become part of Czechoslovakia. Production was to continue until the beginning of the second world war and beyond and their later pieces are now generally referred to by the abbreviated name, ‘Royal Dux’. The distinctive pink triangle plaque mark was first used in the late nineteenth century but appears on pieces from all dates, the version found here indicating late twentieth century work which is also confirmed by the rather indistinct stamped mark comprising a triangle surrounded by the wording ‘Hand Painted Made in Czech Republic’. The artist is named as ‘V.David’ and there seem to be two other companion pieces in different poses. The quality is quite excellent and explains the original popularity of the firm when it began manufacturing in the nineteenth century and produced highly successful imitations of its contemporary rivals.

Simon Eeles was one of the two sons of David and Patricia Eeles who started the studio Shepherd’s Well Pottery in Hampstead, London in 1955, moving to Mosterton, Beaminster, Dorset in 1962, see ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p152). Simon began working with his parents in 1979 and was to soon specialise in stoneware although in later years he took an interest in the Japanese ‘raku’ type glazes for which he gives demonstration classes today. His earlier stoneware pieces seem to have focused on decorative utility items and do not appear to be commonly available now. Priced in the 1980s/1990s at £110 this wall flagon was clearly something of a demonstration piece at the time and remains so today.

Both the form and some of the glaze effects here reflect much earlier Chinese ceramic pieces which is fully consistent with the ‘studio pottery’ style of this piece. Poole Pottery established an art pottery studio within their factory in 1958 which, following the Scandinavian model, produced high quality studio ceramics alongside designs for new ranges until 1966 when they were replaced by the new Delphis, Atlantis and Aegean pottery lines which began production a year later. Dating here is therefore fairly precise and this bowl is an excellent example of ‘studio’ wares produced which could often equal the work of other independent studio potteries.

Falcon Ware was the trade name for pieces produced by Thomas Lawrence, later Thomas Lawrence (Longton) Ltd, a business founded by Thomas Lawrence in 1885 which moved to the Falcon works, Longton, in 1895. In the same year he took his nephew, John Grundy into partnership and around 1920 Grundy became the Managing Director. Thomas Lawrence died in April 1932 and John Grundy became the sole proprietor until his death in 1938 when the business was sold to Grundy's son-in-law Mr Richard Hull (jnr) and Mr. E.J. Dennis and the name was changed to 'Thomas Lawrence (Longton) Limited'. At the same time the firm merged with Shaw and Copestake Ltd of which Richard Hull was a Director but the two businesses still operated independently until 1962 when the Thomas Lawrence business was fully subsumed by its partner with the ‘Falcon’ name ceasing to be used two years later in 1964.

Falcon Ware was known for colourful and decorative designs often with naturalistic themes. This jardiniere is an excellent and unusual example. The cipher ‘LG’, for Lawrence and Grundy, which is not so often found, implies a dating to the 1930s which corresponds with the general style of the piece with its hint of Art Deco associations.

The design for this jug, usually termed ‘Falstaff’ but sometimes ‘Old King Cole’ is known to have been registered (Rd.No. 32601)by the firm Furnival and Clark on December 30th 1845. This was a very short lived partnership between Thomas Furnival and Richard Clark, based at the Stafford Street Pottery Works, Hanley, Staffordshire and which traded from 1844 to 1846 apparently producing just this one model, albeit in a variety of colours. Thomas Furnival had been involved in other firms before this brief venture and was to be involved in others afterwards. The dating of these mugs is usually attributed to the short period when Furnival and Clark traded but it is quite possible that more pieces were produced afterwards by Furnival himself. The paste and finish of this piece, though, which is not marked, certainly suggest a mid nineteenth century dating. In general, the model is quite rare. Some examples were fitted with a Britannia metal or pewter lid but this was never integral to the piece. This striking composition, then, is a rare and desirable item collectors with an interest in British Staffordshire wares.

Price & Kensington was the trademark for Price & Kensington Potteries Ltd which was formed in 1962 by the amalgamation of Price Bros. (Burslem) Ltd and Kensington Pottery Ltd which were both subsidiaries of Arthur Wood & Son (Longport) Ltd. From 1962 to 2003 Price & Kensington produced large quantities of domestic wares alongside novelties and souvenirs, but in 2003 their parent company went into administration and their brand name was eventually sold to Rayware Limited which continued to use it, eventually moving the manufacture abroad, mainly to China.

This celery vase was one of the most popular and distinctive pieces which Price & Kensington produced and examples are enthusiastically collected today.