Ceramics

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.

The firm Boch Freres Keramis was founded by Eugene and Victor Boch and their brother-in-law, Jean Baptiste Nothomb, in 1841 and was located in La Louviere in eastern Belgium. In 1906 Charles Catteau joined the company as artistic director and was responsible for a new and wide ranging series of designs, some under the influence of Japonisme, transitioning the company from producing utilitarian objects to highly decorative ceramics. His work can clearly be seen here in a piece which appears to be quite unusual. Both the form and the decoration reflect early twentieth century fashion in the clean lines and the images inspired by Japan. There is a hint of the aesthetic movement here producing an object of great attraction and interest.

The firm Boch Freres Keramis was founded by Eugene and Victor Boch and their brother-in-law, Jean Baptiste Nothomb, in 1841 and was located in La Louviere in eastern Belgium. In 1906 Charles Catteau joined the company as artistic director and was responsible for a new and wide ranging series of designs, some under the influence of Japonisme, transitioning the company from producing utilitarian objects to highly decorative ceramics. His work can clearly be seen here in a piece which appears to be quite unusual. Both the form and the decoration reflect early twentieth century fashion in the clean lines and the images inspired by Japan. There is a hint of the aesthetic movement here producing an object of great attraction and interest.

While this model, often called the ‘harvest pattern’, is found quite often, it is very unusual to see a graduated set of three, all matching. The form of the mark, where the lion does not sit above a crown, was used between 1922 and 1927 which gives us the dating here. The largest jug carries the letter ‘a’ which was a decorator’s mark and stands for Louisa Ayling. Perhaps she worked on all three, but this must remain a guess although the quality of the work on all three is quite consistent producing a highly decorative and attractive ensemble.

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.

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.

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.

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. Scheurich were well known for producing a wide variety of pieces with variegated, almost experimental glazes and this vase is yet another successful example of their work, the simple lines of form combining with a more austere selection of glaze effects than found in some of their other pieces. Dating is to the 1960s.

The mark is for the well known ceramics manufacturer Zsolnay, based in Pecs, Hungary. Founded by Miklos Zsolnay in 1853, the firm gained a worldwide reputation in the late nineteenth century exhibiting at international fairs and exhibitions. Production declined after the first world war and the factory was bombed during the second. Revived under communism in 1948, the firm started to produce utilitarian pieces under the name ‘Pécs Porcelain Factory’ but gradually their traditional wares were revived and the Zsolnay name was restored in 1982.

This figure is one of the products of Zsolnay’s late renaissance but dating to the 1970s, as indicated by the form of the mark, it still carries only the Pecs brand name. But the quality typical of Zsolnay is emphatically there with fine quality porcelain and careful modelling and decoration all combining to produce a most decorative and attractive composition.

While a close relation to the traditional Victorian ‘Staffordshire Dog’, these figures were actually made by the English firm Beswick in the twentieth century. Founded in 1894 by James Beswick and his sons, the company became known for its output of figurines, eventually securing the rights to producing characters from the novels of Beatrix Potter and the films of Walt Disney. It was sold to Royal Doulton in 1969 who continued production until 2002, selling the pottery premises in 2003 and the rights to the name in 2004 when they were bought by Dartington Crystal who still manufacture pieces carrying the Beswick name. These spaniel figures appear to date from the 1960s and were made in at least two sizes. Most have painted decoration but the plain white finish here is really the most pleasing of all producing a pair of decorative items with timeless appeal.

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.

Cranston Ware was one of the ranges produced by the Pearl Pottery Company, based in Hanley, Stoke on Trent. Founded in 1892, the firm produced a varied selection of ceramic wares, often following contemporary fashions, until its closure in 1947. This vase is demonstrably in the Art Nouveau style and would have been produced when it was at its zenith in the early 1900s. The pattern was known as ‘Tukan’ ware and some of the pieces, but not all, have an impressed mark displaying this. This is an excellent example of the type with the glazes and decorative detail well rendered and certainly deserves the attention of collectors of Art Nouveau.

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.

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.

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.

While it is not absolutely certain the mark on this piece is possibly that of Derek Clarkson (1928-2013). Clarkson trained at the Manchester college of Art between 1944-47 and Burnley School of Art from 1959-61 and then combined a successful lecturing career with the making of his own work which is now to be found in international and private collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In 1980 he retired from lecturing to focus on his work as a potter, continuing to produce pieces of great skill and attraction until his death in 2013. There are other pieces signed by him which strongly resemble the bowl here (see images 8,9) making it a possibility that this is his work. Certainly, the potter who created this piece and impressed his mark at the bottom was clearly accomplished and this bowl is more than worthy to stand comparison with pieces by more famous contemporaries.

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.

Production of this piece was presumably contemporary with the coronation in 1911 and many similar pieces were made by other factories at the time, more often in a straight sided mug shape. The form here suggests that there might have been an original saucer but none seem to have survived.

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.

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.