The Fine Art of Lustre: Royal Lancastrian Pottery by Roland Head

Ceramics
Lustre charger, 28cm dia, decorated by
William Mycock, Armorial design, dated 1929.
Lustre bowl decorated by Charles Cundall,
8.25in wide, c1909.
Lustre plate decorated with ‘rampant lion’
design by William Mycock, c1910.
The Fine Art of Lustre: Royal Lancastrian Pottery
by Roland Head
The late Victorian era saw the emergence of an
artistic counter-movement that was opposed to the
heavily-decorated and elaborate Victorian style of
decoration. Instead, it favoured greater simplicity
and more elegant lines. Royal Lancastrian Pottery
was born at precisely the right moment to take
advantage of this opportunity and was fortunate
enough to attract a number of people whose talent
and creativity made it a reality. Although Royal
Lancastrian was in existence for less than forty
years, the pottery produced some of the finest art
pottery of the twentieth century. Most admired
and sought-after are the pottery’s lustre wares, on
which we shall concentrate in this article.
Lustre vase with cockerel design
by Gordon Forsyth, c1910.
Lustre vase with arts and crafts
design by William Mycock, c1912.
A Brief History of the Lancastrian Pottery
In 1892, the Pilkington tile company was founded
in Clifton, just north of Manchester. The market
for tiles was growing rapidly and presented a
potentially lucrative opportunity for the
Pilkington family, who already owned a
successful brick works. William Burton, then a
chemist working at Wedgwood, was hired to take
control of all matters technical and artistic at the
tile works. Although highly successful at this task,
he harboured a deep desire to become involved in
the making of fine art pottery in the manner of
potters such as Bernard Moore, with whom he
was friends.
In 1897, Burton began to dabble with the
production of decorative pottery and managed to
gather together sufficient wares to include them in
Pilkington’s display at the Paris Exhibition of
1900. The success of this event inspired him to
greater efforts and Burton began to increase the
scale of his experiments with glazes and shapes.
The turning point came in 1903, with the
accidental discovery of a new glaze whose
potential was judged so exciting it motivated
William Burton to decide to start making
decorative pottery on a commercial basis. It's
important to remember that the use of coloured
glazes in pottery was still developing in the early
twentieth century. Royal Lancastrian was to
ANTIQUES INFO - November/December 08
become a leader in this area, alongside contemporaries such as Bernard Moore, Ruskin and
Doulton. Success came quickly and in 1906, 25year old Gordon Forsyth was recruited to take
charge of the pottery’s growing team of artists.
Although young, the Royal College of Art
graduate had already proved himself to be highly
able and very creative, two essential requirements. Forsyth’s recruitment coincided with the
beginning of volume production of lustre wares
and other decorative wares. The pottery gained a
royal warrant in 1913 and its success continued
until the early 1920s, when the departure of
Forsyth led to a gradual loss of direction for the
pottery. The harsh economic conditions of the
1930s tightened the noose and in 1937,
Pilkington’s decided to cease production at the
Lancastrian pottery.
Artists & Their Designs
The arrival of Gordon Forsyth at Royal
Lancastrian in 1906 heralded the creation of a
team of artists whose creative freedom and
artistry was of the very highest order. Gordon
Forsyth’s approach was to encourage his artists to
express their personalities in their work. There
were no formal patterns and while particular
motifs might be shared and reused, every design
was original and the work of an individual artist.
The five artists listed below were responsible for
the majority of lustre ware production throughout
the Royal Lancastrian period and should be of
particular interest to collectors:
•
Gordon Forsyth
•
William Mycock
•
Charles Cundall
•
Richard Joyce
•
Gwladys Rodgers
Although there were no set patterns, a number of
popular design themes emerged among the lustre
artists. Animals and fish proved popular and were
often the work of Richard Joyce, whose fish
designs are exceptionally collectable today. Other
successful themes included Arts and Crafts,
Ceramics
heraldry, folklore and ships. No less an important ingredient in the
Lancastrian mix was the thrower the pottery employed from 1903 to
1936. Edward Thomas Radford was already very highly regarded
when he came to Royal Lancastrian. His work at the pottery
cemented and enhanced this reputation and he was undoubtedly one
of the finest British throwers of his time. All of the thrown shapes
produced by the pottery were Radford’s work and a great many were
of his own design too, such was the freedom granted him by Burton
and Forsyth.
Lustre: Science & Art Combined
While the Royal Lancastrian pottery produced a great many different
wares, its iridescent lustre-glazed pieces were by far the most
successful and highly regarded. Iridescence is the effect achieved
where ordinary (white) light passes through or is reflected by a
substance that refracts (bends) that light. The result is that the white
light is split into all its composite colours. The best-known example
of this are rainbows, which are formed as a result of sunlight passing
through rain drops. There are several stages to producing a true
iridescent lustre, which like mother-of-pearl, will reflect light in a
myriad of different colours, appearing differently from every angle.
Each stage must be absolutely successful if the finished ware is to
boast the iridescent, metallic finish so beloved of ceramic artists. The
first stage is for the ware to be glazed with a particular glaze and then
fired. Following this initial firing, the ware is painted with a special
mixture of copper or silver and liquid clay. An additional, usually oilbased, substance is also added, which allows the artist to successfully
paint on top of the lustre glaze once it has been fired.
The lustre firing is no less complex. The metallic compound must
first be oxidised - fired in an oxygen-rich atmosphere - which causes
the oxygen and metal to combine. At a precise point in the firing
process, the atmosphere in the kiln must be changed to a reducing,
oxygen deficient atmosphere. This is done by reducing the flow of
air into the kiln and has the effect of separating the oxygen molecules
from the metal, leaving the metal behind. The result, if successful, is
that the ceramic body will be covered in an extremely thin, uniform,
metallic film with true iridescent qualities. Such a body can then be
decorated to create the finished ware. This was the technique
developed at the Lancastrian pottery between 1903 and 1906.
Thoughts for Collectors
The Royal Lancastrian pottery produced a considerable volume of
other wares in addition to their lustre production. Many of these
featured innovative and richly-coloured glazes that had never been
seen before. These pieces were also extremely well decorated and
remain very attractive today.
Despite this, Royal Lancastrian’s lustre wares remain in a league of
their own in terms of collectable appeal. Relatively scarce, these
pieces represent a level of artistic and technical accomplishment that
is genuinely distinguished. Royal Lancastrian’s contribution to
twentieth century art pottery was remarkable and owners of such
pieces can feel comfortable knowing that their pieces are amongst
the very best of their kind.
On the next two pages I have included a Price Guide from our Gold
Services Database at www.antiques-info.co.uk
Editor
Lustre bowl decorated by Gwlady Rodgers.
8in wide, c1920.
Lustre ginger jar with fish design by Richard
Joyce. This design features 17 fish and is a
superb example, dating to c1909.
Lustre vase decorated by Richard Joyce with
heraldic lion design.
Lustre vase decorated by William Mycock
dated 1925.
Lustre vase featuring ‘Sea Maidens’ design
by Walter Crane. Decorated by Richard
Joyce, dated 1906.
Lustre ginger jar decorated with deer by
Richard Joyce, c1913.
ANTIQUES INFO - November/December 08
Ceramics
Selection of Lancastrian Pottery from
our Database at www.antiques-info.co.uk
20
10
5
1
Pilkington Lancastrian vase
by Richard Joyce, painted in
copper lustre, toucans amongst
pomegranates/foliage, ruby
lustre ground, painted artist
cypher datemark 1918, imp’d
mark, 32cm high. Woolley &
Wallis, Salisbury. May 03.
HP: £7,600. ABP: £8,939.
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
squat vase, tall cylindrical
neck decorated with fish and
scrolled weed, green lustre
ground, 7.5in high.
Maxwells, Wilmslow. Sep 04.
HP: £1,700. ABP: £1,999.
Pilkington’s Lancastrian
lustre vase by Gordon M.
Forsyth, c1907, decorated
two lions rampant & foliage,
white ground, shape No. 2635,
impressed/painted marks,
7.75in. Gorringes, Lewes. Dec
04. HP: £1,000. ABP: £1,176.
15
Royal Lancastrian lustre vase,
painted with 3 graces holding
aloft swags of foliage within
a garden of orange trees, red
ground, 10.75in high.
Andrew Hartley, Ilkley. Apr
05. HP: £800. ABP: £941.
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
lustre vase, early 20thC,
shouldered form, enriched
with silver lustre flowering
vine on red ground, flowers
picked out in orange, 22cm.
Rosebery’s, London. Jun 05.
HP: £600. ABP: £705.
21
11
6
16
2
Pilkington’s Lancastrian
lustre moon flask by William
S. Mycock, c1908, one side
decorated with heraldic shield,
lion and scrolling foliage,
reverse with a Latin motto, ‘It
is in vain without the Lord’,
shape No. 2715, impressed
and painted marks, 10.5in.
Gorringes, Lewes. Dec 04.
HP: £2,000. ABP: £2,352.
3
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
lustre vase, decorated with 3
galleons, 8.5in. Gorringes,
Lewes. Dec 02. HP: £1,350.
ABP: £1,587.
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
lustre vase, tall slender neck,
decorated with fish/seaweed,
combined impressed P.L.
mark and lustre lion’s head,
impressed 2598, 5.5in high.
Maxwells, Wilmslow. Sep 04.
HP: £960. ABP: £1,129.
7
Art pottery charger by
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian,
decorated with mythological
creature, motto on reverse,
monogram. (W S Mycock).
Richard Winterton, Burton
on Trent, Staffs. Dec 02. HP:
£780. ABP: £917.
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
vase, by William S Mycock,
painted with stiff leaves and
stylized flowers in blue, red
and green lustre, 10.5in high,
monogram and impressed
marks. Hartleys, Ilkley. Feb
08. HP: £560. ABP: £658.
22
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
lustre posy vase by William
S. Mycock, c1920, decorated
with the Latin inscription, ‘I
trust to virtue, not arms’,
between floral bands, cobalt
blue ground, shape No. 3178,
imp’d and painted marks,
7.5in. Gorringes, Lewes. Dec
04. HP: £1,100. ABP: £1,293.
8
12
17
Pilkington Royal Lancastrian
lustre vase, No. 3027, 7.25in.
Gorringes, Lewes. Oct 02.
HP: £950. ABP: £1,117.
13
Royal Lancastrian pottery
vase by Gordon Forsyth,
impressed/painted marks, No
3034 X11, 6in high.
Maxwells, Wilmslow. Sep 02.
HP: £720. ABP: £846.
18
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
lustre vase by R. Joyce,
decorated with galleons, bluegreen ground, initialled and
impressed marks, 9.25in, some
damage. Gorringes, Lewes.
Mar 06. HP: £450. ABP: £529.
23
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
lustre bottle vase by R. Joyce,
c1920, decorated with panel
of 4 young maidens holding
floral ribbons, foliate bands
in shades of gold and red,
shape No. 2962, impressed
and painted marks, 12.5in.
Gorringes, Lewes. Dec 04.
HP: £2,000. ABP: £2,352.
Pilkington’s Lancastrian blue
glazed vase with silver lustre
decoration of galleons, by
Richard Joyce, 4in.
Gorringes, Lewes. Apr 02.
HP: £1,000. ABP: £1,176.
9
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
slender neck lustre vase, by
Richard Joyce, decorated
with fish/seaweed, combined
P.L. impressed mark, lustre
lion’s head & JR monogram,
impressed 2761, 5in high.
Maxwells, Wilmslow. Sep 04.
HP: £920. ABP: £1,082.
Pilkingtons Lancastrian
lustre vase by Richard Joyce,
impressed marks, painted
monogram, 6.75in high.
Sworders, Stansted
Mountfitchet. Dec 01. HP:
£640. ABP: £752.
19
4
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
lustre vase, by Richard Joyce,
decorated with fish/seaweed,
lustre lion’s head, JR monogram to base, 9in high.
Maxwells, Wilmslow. Sep 04.
HP: £1,700. ABP: £1,999.
Pilkington’s Lancastrian
lustre vase by R. Joyce,
decorated with tropical fish/
seaweed, ochre ground, shape
No. 2922, impressed and
painted marks, c1914, 6in.
Gorringes, Lewes. Dec 04.
HP: £1,000. ABP: £1,176.
ANTIQUES INFO - November/December 08
Royal Lancastrian lustre
vase by W S Mycock, squat
bottle form, painted with
stylised stiff leaves in olive
green, blue ground, 4in wide,
painted mark dated 1925.
Hartleys, Ilkley. Apr 08. HP:
£380. ABP: £446.
24
14
Pilkingtons Lancastrian
lustre vase by Richard Joyce,
painted with swimming fish
in silver, shaded green ground,
5in high. Hartleys, Ilkley.
Feb 07. HP: £820. ABP: £964.
Pilkington’s Royal
Lancastrian lustre vase.
Louis Taylor, Stoke on Trent.
Sep 02. HP: £620. ABP: £729.
Royal Lancastrian baluster
vase, first quarter 20thC,
impressed marks, No. 2093,
27cm high. Richard Winterton,
Burton on Trent, Staffs. Feb
04. HP: £300. ABP: £352.
Ceramics
40
35
25
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
pottery bowl, exterior with a
band of scrolling stylised
foliage, red ground, interior
stencilled with roses/foliage,
34cm dia, impressed factory
marks, stencilled monogram
for William S. Mycock with
datecode for 1911. Bearne’s,
Exeter. Jun 05. HP: £300.
ABP: £352.
30
Pilkington Lancastrian vase
designed by Gordon M
Forsyth. (chipped) Great
Western Auctions, Glasgow.
Mar 06. HP: £220. ABP: £258.
31
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
ivory glazed pottery vase,
moulded with stylized lions,
impressed with number 3353,
10in high. Dee, Atkinson &
Harrison, Driffield. Feb 06.
HP: £130. ABP: £152.
Pilkingtons Royal
Lancastrian lustre bowl.
Gorringes, Bexhill. Jul 05.
HP: £95. ABP: £111.
41
26
Royal Lancastrian pottery
vase, by William Mycock,
bellied form, painted with
stylized trees on a turquoise
ground, 8.5in high. Hartleys,
Ilkley. Oct 06. HP: £300.
ABP: £352.
Prices quoted are actual
hammer prices (HP) and the
Approximate Buyer’s Price.
(ABP) Includes an average
premium of 15% + VAT.
Early 20thC Pilkingtons
Lancastrian shallow bowl,
trailed polychrome glaze,
10.5in. Gorringes, Bexhill.
Mar 02. HP: £75. ABP: £88.
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
bottle vase, baluster body,
tapered neck and splayed rim,
all-over blue mottled glaze,
marked to underside 2915,
impressed factory mark, 21cm.
Gorringes, Bexhill. Mar 05.
HP: £110. ABP: £129.
32
27
Edwardian Pilkingtons Royal
Lancastrian pottery vase
designed by R Joyce, textured
burnt orange glazed body
decorated in relief with fish,
impressed 1920-1938 and
designer’s inscribed initials,
6in high. Amersham Auction
Rooms, Bucks. Jun 04. HP:
£280. ABP: £329.
28
Royal Lancastrian pottery
vase by Gladys Rogers,
bellied sides painted with
stylised leaves and berries on
a pink ground, 7.25in high.
Hartleys, Ilkley. Feb 08. HP:
£280. ABP: £329.
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
vase, flared form with raised
cabochon about the body,
glazed in an iridescent red,
shape 2801, impressed mark,
4.75in. Gorringes, Lewes.
Apr 07. HP: £190. ABP: £223.
Pilkington’s Lancastrian
ovoid tapered vase, all-over
deep red glaze, marked to
underside with number 2338,
14cm. Gorringes, Bexhill.
Mar 05. HP: £75. ABP: £88.
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
lustre vase by Richard Joyce,
classical maidens dancing
with garlands, blue ground,
painted with cross mark,
8.25in, a.f. Gorringes, Lewes.
Apr 08. HP: £260. ABP: £305.
38
Royal Lancastrian twin
handled vase, curved handles,
mottled blue & grey drip
glazed body/interior 19cm,
impressed factory marks to
underside. Rosebery’s,
London. Sep 04. HP: £100.
ABP: £117.
34
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
pottery vase, squat form, buff
ground, applied turquoise &
green mottled lustre glaze,
14cm high, impressed marks
to underside. Rosebery’s,
London. Sep 04. HP: £150.
ABP: £176.
48
Pilkington Royal Lancastrian
shallow bowl, decorated with
deep orange spatter glaze,
yellow ground, impressed
factory mark, 3in high, 12in
dia. Golding Young & Co,
Grantham. Feb 06. HP: £45.
ABP: £52.
37
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
vase, c1920, uranium orange
glaze, 40cm. Sworders,
Stansted Mountfitchet. Apr
06. HP: £110. ABP: £129.
43
Royal Lancastrian footed
bowl. Great Western
Auctions, Glasgow. Jul 06.
HP: £70. ABP: £82.
44
Royal Lancastrian lustre bowl,
red/gold interior painted with
inverted hearts, deep purple
exterior, 5.75in wide.
Hartleys, Ilkley. Jun 07. HP:
£70. ABP: £82.
Unusual Pilkington's
Lancastrian scarab beetle
paperweight, glazed in a
mottled blue, impressed
marks, 3.75in. Gorringes,
Lewes. Apr 08. HP: £100.
ABP: £117.
49
Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian
vase, shouldered ovoid form,
everted rim, red and yellow
streaky glaze, impressed
marks No. 2671, 10in high.
Golding Young & Co,
Grantham. Feb 06. HP: £45.
ABP: £52.
45
50
39
29
Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian
green mottled ware plate,
raised sides, imp’d factory
mark to underside, No. 2213,
23cm dia. Gorringes, Bexhill.
Mar 05. HP: £50. ABP: £58.
42
33
Royal Lancastrian vase,
mottled sea green colour,
banded with gulls in flight,
signed Mycott, 9.25in high.
Dee, Atkinson & Harrison,
Driffield. Feb 06. HP: £180.
ABP: £211.
Pilkington Royal Lancastrian
vase, decorated by Wm. S.
Mycock, painted with simple
plant forms, streaky red and
yellow ground, impressed
and painted marks, 6in high.
Golding Young & Co,
Grantham. Feb 06. HP: £55.
ABP: £64.
47
36
Pilkingtons Lancastrian
pottery vase, flared rim,
painted with fruiting vines in
gold, turquoise lustre ground,
9in high, W. S. Mycock mark,
dated 1914. Hartleys, Ilkley.
Oct 07. HP: £210. ABP: £247.
46
Three Pilkington’s Lancastrian
bowls, two with mottled
green glazes, Nos. 3067 and
2465, third with a mushroom
coloured glaze, all with
impressed marks, 20thC,
26.5cm. (the largest) Woolley
& Wallis, Salisbury. Sep 00.
HP: £60. ABP: £70.
‘Pilkington’s R. Lancastrian’
lustre jar, greenish glaze,
minus lid, base lightly
impressed ‘P’, ‘2889’ and
‘England’ and with green
Prince of Wales feathers, two
glazing faults at base and
crazed. A F Brock & Co Ltd,
Stockport. Nov 05. HP: £30.
ABP: £35.
ANTIQUES INFO - November/December 08