Vol 10 No 3

1 A Newly Described Wilkinson Pattern
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2 Clarice Cliff Tableware Part 27
46
3 ‘Josefina’ – a newly described pattern
49
4 ‘Country Scene’ – Harold Walker
52
6 ‘Gayfare’ - Factory name
53
7 Dolly Cliff Patterns Part 6
54
8 Viking boat
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The Agora’s E-mail address is
contact@theagora.com.au
The Agora’s Web site is
www.theagora.com.au
Subscribers are encouraged to submit articles, letters, comments, or items they feel
may be of interest to other subscribers.
Clarice Cliff®, Bizarre®, Fantasque® Bizooka® are trademarks of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Limited of Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England and are used with the owner’s kind permission.
Wilkinson and Newport archive pattern book information, images and extracts reproduced by
the kind permission of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Limited Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England.
(Publication and all other rights reserved.)
43
A Newly Described Wilkinson Pattern
‘June Trellis’ (wn)
‘June Trellis’ (working name) was entered into the Wilkinson pattern book on the 21st of
May 1929 as pattern number 8675.
The design is fully freehand
painted
(without
outlines)
and
its
stylised floral subject is typical of many
Wilkinson patterns of the time.
This
pattern
shows
regularly
spaced sprays of flowers arranged on a
trellis. Each spray is composed of an informal grouping of three flowers connected by black
stems. To give variety and interest to the design, two colours of green have been used to
decorate the leaves. The trellis has been decorated in plum colour. This choice of colour for
the trellis gives the design a less weighty appearance than black. The informal arrangement
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of the flowers lends movement to the design. This avoids an unpleasant symmetry that would
be evident if the pattern had been applied in groups of four on small plates.
The arrangement of flowers on a trellis is not an uncommon decorative device and it
has its origins in earlier Wilkinson patterns.
Other designs that incorporate a trellis are the
long running lithographic pattern, ‘Rose and Trellis’1, ‘New Trellis’2 and the hand painted
Wilkinson pattern, ‘Morning’ (8526)3.
The whole pattern is arranged about the shoulder of the ware, leaving the well clear of
decoration. A fine black edge line, common to many Wilkinson patterns, completes the
design.
As the pattern book is silent as to the original factory name, the working name of ‘June Trellis’
has been applied.
The flowers have been decorated in the same fashion as the floral elements that make
up the later pattern ‘Flaming June’ (pattern numbers 8681 and 8687). This suggests that the
pattern may be by the same designer. As the majority of Dolly Cliff’s patterns are floral
designs executed in a European folk art style, it is reasonable to assume that ‘June Trellis’ is
by her.
Greg Slater ACT
1
2
3
1923
See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page 331
See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page 316
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Clarice Cliff tableware Part 27
Pattern number 6483
‘Holborn’ (wn)
Biarritz plate decorated in ‘Holborn’(green)
Pattern book watercolour for ‘Holborn’ (pink)
Impressed mark March 1936
Pattern number 6483 is a tableware banded pattern that was produced in at least three
colourways: 6382 (pink), 6483 (green) and 6484 (yellow).
This design and its alternative colourways are part of a number of complex banded
patterns that seem to have appeared in Clarice Cliff’s output in about 1934. This possibly
reflected the development of skilled banding operatives in the Bizarre paintshop and the need
for Miss Cliff to make her banded tableware patterns more distinctive. The production of novel
banded designs broadened Clarice Cliff’s range of tableware whilst complex and interesting
ones such as this would provide a strong market alternative to her floral and landscape
patterns.
This design works well and sits comfortably on Bonjour/Biarritz shapes. With these
shapes, its dominant circular elements draw attention to the round shape of the teapots and
an effective contrast with the square Biarritz plates.
The pattern shows an interrupted, broad coloured band that encircles about three
quarters of the shoulder area. Fine grey lines have been applied over the coloured band and
extend into the edge of the flat ware well or towards the hollow ware centre. These fine greyt
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lines are uninterrupted and circle the entire pattern area. The quadrant, not included in the
coloured band, has been mostly demarked by black a black line. Within this quadrant, short,
parallel radial lines, enamelled in the dominant colour of the pattern, have been applied over
the grey lines. One group of short lines extend from the innermost grey line in the well to the
edge of the shoulder, whilst the other group of short lines extends from the outermost
shoulder line to the edge of the well. In the centre of the uncoloured quadrant, four parallel
black lines extend from the demarking black line to the edge of the well.
The pattern looks complicated but would have been decorated by a skilled operative in
a short time, using a pottery wheel to execute the concentric lines.
Pattern number 6483 and its alternative colourways dates from early 1935 and
appears to have enjoyed a moderate production that extended into 1937. To assist collectors,
the working name of ‘Holborn’ has been assigned.
Pattern Number 6623
‘Primavera’ (wn)
Round plate decorated in 'Primavera'
‘Primavera’ is a cheerful floral pattern from the mid 1930’s that has many features that
link it to patterns used in the Art in Industry project. It seems to resemble some of E. Brain &
Co’s (Foley) patterns of the period particularly in its loose floral arrangement.
The fully freehand pattern is decorated on glaze and shows a mixed group of stylised
flowers scattered across the plate. In the example shown here, the decorator has (probably
with Miss Cliff’s approval) enamelled the large daisy-like flower not in yellow as the pattern
book watercolour requires, but in mauve with plum highlights added over. The replacement of
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the yellow with mauve and plum blends the daisy with its companions rather than making a
contrasting focal point. The example shown here bears the impressed mark for August 1936.
In the place of coloured banding or an edge line, a continuous and meandering line
encircles the shoulder of the ware. The depressions in the line have been enlivened with
groups of hatched lines. This decorative
element seems to have been borrowed
from a design by Milner Gray.4 Whilst the
floral elements seem to owe much to
Duncan Grant’s ‘Poppy’5 design.
The pattern has been decorated on
a pale, jade green glaze. This glaze was
used for a number of other patterns but is
not the same as Clarice Cliff’s ‘Summer'
glaze. In comparison with the ‘Summer’
glaze, the glaze used for this pattern is
Archive watercolour for 'Primavera'
more muted.
As can be seen from the factory
drawings, ‘Primavera’ was designed to be decorated on a wide range of tableware shapes –
including Conical sifters.
cheerful
pattern
that
Is a
whose
attractive palette of colours, set
off by the green glaze, that
would have made an informal
Archival drawing for design placement
lunch table setting most inviting.
The design also shows that Miss
Cliff was staying “up to date”. It is a world away from pattern 6074 shown in the next article
Greg Slater ACT
4
5
See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page 292
See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page 295
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‘Josefina’ Pattern Number 6074
A Newly Described Clarice Cliff Design
Bonjour teapot decorated ‘Josefina’
This attractive Clarice Cliff tableware pattern was recently listed on Ebay. At the time of
auction, it was located in Argentina. The owner, Sr Juan Pedro Benoit advised the author that
the working name for this pattern will be ‘Josefina’
This design, pattern number 6074, was entered into the factory pattern books in
January or early February 1933. The estimated date is based on the entry date for a later
pattern (6068 was entered into the pattern books on 10/2/1933). As designs are entered into
the pattern book after the first production run, ‘Josefina’ may have been designed in the
closing months of 1932.
‘Josefina’ is hand painted using outlines on Honeyglaze. The design shows a large
pink flower traced in amber. The flower is supported by fine stems that are enamelled in blue.
Balancing the floral element is a series of nested semi circles whose centre is on the edge of
the ware. This group forms a single design element and forms two bands, one in yellow, the
other in blue framed by fine blue lines. The space between the two coloured bands has been
enlivened by oblique blue lines.
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Opposite the flower is a spray of two oak-like
leaves. These have been enamelled in green and in
brown with the veins traced in colours. When the
pattern is applied to hollow ware, these leaves form
the reverse of the pattern.
To address the expanse of plain glaze
Pattern book drawing for ‘Josefina’
between the floral and geometric elements, fine
hatched lines in blue have been added.
Rather than using wide coloured bands to frame
the pattern, Clarice Cliff has applied an interrupted fine
blue edge line. This matches other elements in the
design and keeps the pattern light in weight. Clarice Cliff
often used interrupted lines or banding where there was
need to highlight a design element located on or close to
the rim of the ware.
The flatware shown in this article bear the
impressed mark for March 1933.
Round plate decorated in ‘Josefina’
Pattern book drawings for pattern placement
Archival information shows that this pattern was intended to be applied on a range of
tableware shapes. The above pattern book excerpt shows the pattern placement on beakers,
Biarritz/ Bonjour and Daffodil shapes (bottom right). This would suggest that the production of
this pattern was reasonably wide.
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In the factory advertisement (left) pattern 6074 is shown
decorated on a Daffodil shape tureen. This shows that the pattern
was decorated on this shape range.
When viewed on its own, this pattern may look unusual, but
when considered in context with archival information, ‘Josefina’
appears to be part of a series of similar patterns.
It is clear that at the time that ‘Josefina’ was released,
Clarice Cliff was experimenting with novel designs that combined
floral and geometric elements. In these patterns, Miss Cliff moved,
to varying degrees, the design elements towards the edge of the ware. This kept the well of
the flatware relatively undecorated. Thus protecting the design from knife damage and
keeping the pattern in view when food was added to the plate. A well known design in this
series is the earlier pattern ‘St Cloud’6 (6034).
Pattern number 6068
Pattern number 6033
Patterns (6068 and 6033) are other examples of Miss Cliff’s experiments in this design
style. In pattern number 6068, the floral elements have been simplified and moved to the
edge and a complex geometric design element has been replaced by larger hatching. In
pattern number 6033, the edge geometric design remains complex whilst the floral element
has been reduced. Again, for both patterns, Miss Cliff has used an interrupted line and band
combination.
A single flatware example of ‘Josefina’ was listed a few years ago on Ebay. At that
time, the piece was located in the UK, suggesting that ‘Josefina’ was produced for both the
domestic market and for export.
Greg Slater ACT
Acknowledgement: The author is grateful to Sr Juan Pedro Benoit for his kind permission for
the use of his coloured images of pattern number 6074
6
See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page 121 and The Agora Vol 6 No 2 pp 25-26
51
‘Country Scene’ by Harold Walker
In Volume 8 No 1 of The Agora7, a design from Harold Walker’s ‘Country Scene’ series
was discussed at length8. Now, a further example
from this range has come to light and this piece was
recently listed on Ebay.
In keeping with the series name, this pattern
shows two rustic cottages in a rural landscape. By
setting one cottage higher and behind the other, Mr
Walker has given the pattern a sense of perspective.
In keeping with the pattern book entry for
these patterns (all issued under one pattern number
– 6140), a rim band of egg yellow with nigger (sic)
spots has been applied. At the base bands of egg
yellow and blue complete the design.
Isis vase in 'Country Scene'
Of interest is the hand written Bizarre
backstamp and this has been written with some skill. To
write
script with a fine lining brush requires considerable brush
technique.
As in the previously described ‘Country
Scene’
cursive
article,
this pattern has been decorated on the same textured glaze. As noted before, the Isis vase
here is a Goldstone body over which a white glaze has been added. Again the characteristic
speckled Goldstone glaze shows through the glaze coat. The author has yet to see any
Clarice Cliff pattern decorated on this sort of glaze or any Harold Walker designs on any other
glaze. This suggests that the white glaze and Goldstone body combination may not have
been a success. Therefore for reasons of frugality, Clarice Cliff may have allowed Mr Walker
to use for his patterns, blanks in this unsuccessful glaze experiment.
Greg Slater ACT
Acknowledgement: The Editor wishes to thank Susan O’Brien of Avondale Antiques for her kind
permission for the use of the images in this article.
7
8
July 2004 pp 3-5
Illustrated Comprehensively Clarice Cliff p 236
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Factory Pattern Name Confirmation
‘Gayfare’
Round plate decorated in ‘Gayfare’
One of the most rewarding aspects of researching the output of the Wilkinson/Newport
pottery is the discovery of original factory names. Although the remaining archives are very
incomplete and some are in a parlous state, information of interest to collectors can still be
found and often in unlikely places. For the most part, the pattern books do not indicate pattern
names and where these books do, they must be accepted as primary sources.
The
dependence on the operatives’ fragile memories can lead to situations where a ‘remembered’
name can be in conflict with written factory records.
Discovered amongst the factory archives is the original factory name of the Wilkinson
version of Clarice Cliff’s well-known pattern, ‘Crocus’. Two separate entries in the archive
volume, PA/W-N 15 establish the name of this pattern as ‘Gayfare’ (pattern number 8870).
This interesting variation on the crocus theme has previously been discussed by The
Agora (Vol 5 No 2 page 14)
Greg Slater ACT
53
Dolly Cliff Pattern Book Part 6
‘Batanga’
Pattern book watercolour for ‘Batanga’ 5340
Cup and saucer decorated in 'Batanga' (5340)
'Batanga' backstamp
Dolly Cliff’s ‘Batanga’ is one of the many patterns that Dolly Cliff produced in the mid
1920’s that represented A.J. Wilkinson’s response to European folk art pottery. Whilst most of
her range of designs was characterised by stylised floral patterns decorated underglaze and
on a stark white body, ‘Batanga’ was decorated both on and underglaze..
First produced in 1926, ‘Batanga’ was released in two forms.
As Newport pattern number 5340, ‘Batanga’ was depicted as
a shoulder design that leaves the centre of the ware clear. As
pattern number 5341, a central motif was added inside the
border. The same design arrangement was maintained when
the design was re-released on Honeyglaze in May 1928
Pattern book watercolour for
'Batanga' 5341
under Wilkinson numbers 8462 (shoulder version) and 8463
as the full design with a central motif. ‘Batanga’ is one of the
few Dolly Cliff patterns for which the original factory name is known.
In keeping with the practice of naming patterns after exotic locations that was
established by John Butler, the Art director, Dolly Cliff evidently named her pattern after the
coastal town of Batanga in the West African country of modern day Gabon. Clarice Cliff was
to continue this factory tradition in the 1930’s.
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‘Cherries’
Watercolour for 5348 'Cherries'
Watercolour for 5349 'Cherries'
Shortly after ‘Batanga’, in 1926 Dolly Cliff released her tableware pattern ‘Cherries’. This
pattern was released in two colourways that carry the pattern numbers 5348 and 5349.
The design shows three sprays of
cherries evenly spaced about the
shoulder of the plate. A circle in the
centre of the plate contains a fourth
spray of fruit. Both patterns were
Pattern book instructions for 'Cherries' (5348)
decorated underglaze on a white
(Ivory) body.
Pattern number 5348 shows the fruit decorated in fawn and the leaves in black. The pattern
book instructions indicate that the fruit is to be sponged. This means that rather than applying
the colour with a pencil (brush) a small piece of sponge is used to dab the colour onto the
ware. This will produce a mottled effect that adds visual texture and interest to the design.
Pattern number 5349 shows the design coloured in a more naturalistic fashion. The
leaves are painted green and the fruit has been sponged in a combination of pink and claret
brown.
These tableware patterns from 1926 show that Dolly Cliff’s fine sense of design
produced many distinctive hand painted tableware patterns. That these patterns were
decorated underglaze is a tribute to the skill of the paintresses whom Dolly Cliff trained and
developed.
Greg Slater ACT
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Viking Boat
Clarice
Cliff’s
Viking boat first appeared
in 1927 and enjoyed a
long production run that
finished about 1937.
It is not surprising
that Clarice Cliff chose
this subject to model for
the Viking boat was a
popular motif in the art
associated with the Art
Nouveau and Arts and
Crafts movement in the
Viking boat decorated in 'Aura' (orange) pattern number 6514
late 19th and early 20th
centuries.
The Pottery Gazette for September 1927 announced that A.J. Wilkinson’s “have struck
a new note or two in their productions”. Singled out for praise was the Elegant basket, the
Gaiety basket, and the Viking boat. The article noted that each was fitted with a flower block
“to facilitate the making up of a display of flowers for the purpose of table decoration”. The
same article goes on to say “The newest decorations for this type of novelty – and novelties
such pieces undoubtedly are,
since
there was nothing like them in the trade
until modelled by this house – is
executed in black and yellow, though
another
pleasant
decorative
style
consists of combinations of blue and
grey. They are, as a matter of fact, many
Pottery Gazette September 1927
new alternative styles of decoration, but
all seem to be new in their type and feeling”.
There is little doubt that Clarice Cliff was the driving force behind this “new type and
feeling”. By the time that this article was published, her ‘Bizarre” experiment had just been
released.
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Clarice Cliff’s Viking boat proved to be
a long term success with the public. It
was happily decorated in a whole
range of designs and colours. Whilst
most decorations were based on
Honeyglaze body, this shape was
occasionally used in the Inspiration
range.
Although a little more curved at
either end than a real Viking longboat,
Clarice Cliff’s version possesses a
shapely elegance that improves when
Archival promotional image of Viking boat
it is filled with flowers.
The purpose of the Viking boat was to provide a substantial (the large version is about
380mm in length and 230mm in height) centrepiece for the table, sideboard or mantlepiece.
The removable flower block made it suitable for both floral arrangements or as a fruit bowl.
It seems, but is not certain that this shape was not produced in Goldstone, Latona or
decorated in Appliqué patterns. However, collectors will testify that one can never be
absolutely sure about anything in Clarice Cliff’s production. If a customer had requested one
of these versions, it is very likely that the factory would have obliged. In the early 1930’s
Clarice Cliff also modelled a reduced and simplified version of this shape for the A.J.
Wilkinson/Newport pottery sister company Shorter and Son.
Early in the Bizarre period, the Viking boat was decorated in such diverse and
incongruous patterns such as ‘Trees and House’, ‘Autumn’, and later in the various
‘Rhodanthe’ colourways to name just a
few. There are even examples of the
boat decorated in plain colours but each
shield carries a reduced version of well
known patterns.
At the very end of its production,
the Viking boat was released in a
Mushroom
glaze
and
occasionally
Pattern book instruction for Viking boat decorated
in ‘Aura’ (green) 6330
decorated in ‘Anemone’.
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Perhaps the most successful decorative scheme for the Viking boat is ‘Aura’.
This unchallenging design series sits well on the shape without distracting or conflicting with
the lines of the boat. The above pattern book instruction for a piece for inclusion in the British
Industrial fare of 1935 suggests that Clarice Cliff may have favoured this colour treatment for
Viking boats.
For the present day collector,
displaying this shape provides the
same opportunities as those for the
original owners. Like many Clarice
Cliff pieces, the Viking boat looks
best when performing the function
for which it was originally designed.
As
‘Aura’
tableware
is
moderately available, a Viking boat
decorated in ‘Aura’ can be placed on
a matching large serving platter in
the same colourway.
It
is
suggested
that
the
collector can avoid water damage to
the piece if dried rather than fresh
flowers are used. Also, the use of
plastic or similar display fruit will
avoid glaze damage due to acidic
fluid leakage.
The inclusion of a Viking boat
within a collection will sit well with
other Clarice Cliff items and add
Archival promotional image of a table setting that
includes a Viking boat decorated in ‘Aurea’ as a
centerpiece. The Lynton tableware set is decorated in
‘Aura’ (blue) pattern number 6313
interest to a room display.
It is interesting to note that the Viking boat does not appear to have been copied by
other potteries despite its evident commercial success. A future article will demonstrate the
rather surprising successor to this shape
Greg Slater ACT
58