An early Clarice Cliff figuarine

The Agora
1.
Volume 14 No 1
November 2010
1
1
Nautical Themes in Clarice Cliff pottery
3
2
‘Jonquil’
8
3
Gloria ‘Tulip’
10
5
An Interesting Clarice Cliff Fake
15
6
Clarice Cliff Publicity Artwork.
19
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.)
2
Nautical Themes in Clarice Cliff Pottery
Nautical motifs in the 1930’s were popular industrial design devices used to decorate everyday
objects such as pottery, travel posters and fabrics. Yachts carried with them pleasurable feelings
associated with summer holidays and escape to exotic locations. The association of pottery pattern
names with escape to exotic locations was a well established tradition in the Wilkinson pottery. John
Butler established this trend and Clarice Cliff adopted it with great enthusiasm.
Despite the popularity of nautical themes in 1930’s industrial design, Clarice Cliff did not adopt
them as design elements to any significant degree. Her use of nautical themes was sparing and limited
to a few designs. Principal amongst these were the hand painted patterns Appliqué ‘Palermo’, ‘Gibraltar’
(pattern number 5989) and ‘Stralia’. Supporting
these were pattern number 6264 ‘Porthole’
(working name) and the printed designs that
made up the Cruiseware series. Nauticalinfluenced shapes, designed for
Wilkinson/Newport, appear to have been
limited to the shape 469 “Ocean Liner” vase.
Appliqué ‘Palermo’
Perhaps Clarice Cliff’s first design to include a
nautical motif was her design Appliqué
‘Palermo’. The pattern, a coastal scene with its
opulent Clematis-like flowers, radiates a warm,
sunny Mediterranean feeling. The presence of
one or two yachts completes the sense of
Hiawatha bowl decorated in Appliqué ‘Palermo’
escape to a far away location.
Appliqué ‘Palermo’ was a somewhat variable
pattern. The placements of the climbing plant, sea and
mountains could vary from piece to piece. Less
successful renditions occurred, primarily as a partial
pattern depiction where the sea was left out. The usual
design element placement has the climbing plants
placed to one side, the flowers, together with the
orange sky, overhang and partially frame the sea.
Stamford tea ware decorated in Appliqué ‘ Palermo’
3
Clarice Cliff used overhanging of flowers and/or foliage to produce, in the observer, a feeling of coziness
and inclusion. In Appliqué ‘Palermo’ there is not only a feeling of inclusion but one of overlooking the
sea.
The design was released in 1930 and, like all the
Appliqué series, saw only a short production run. It is
possible that Appliqué, along with such other fine series
as Latona and Inspiration, were ceased as part of
production rationalisation that also saw the narrowing of
the Bizarre and Fantasque ranges.
Appliqué ‘Palermo’ is a fine landscape design, its
exuberant floral device and perspective makes it one of
Clarice Cliff’s great patterns.
‘Gibraltar’
Released in 1931as pattern number 5989, ‘Gibraltar’ is
one of the finest patterns that Clarice Cliff produced.
Stamford bowl decorated in Appliqué ‘Palermo’
Her deliberate choice of pastel colours
and naturalism of subject depiction
immediately distanced it from many other
contemporary Bizarre patterns.
In this seascape, Clarice Cliff moved
the observation point out to and above the
sea. The observer looks down on the yachts
but is on a level with the middle of the
mountain in the distance.
The yellow sky provides a link back to
the Appliqué series, but this time the sky is
less dominating.
Again, ‘Gibraltar’ is a highly variable
pattern with regard to changes in the
numbers and placement of the yachts. Also,
the contour of the mountain varies to some
Leda plate decorated in ‘Gibraltar’
4
degree.
Most striking but entirely sympathetic is Clarice Cliff’s choice of colours for the banding. The four
colours sit easily with each other and compliment the colours used to enamel the design. The outlining is
in mauve and its use as one of the banding colours, ties the design together. It has been said that the
Bizarre paintresses referred to ‘Gibraltar’ by the “pet name” of ‘Porthole’. However, as shown later in
this article, there was a printed pattern that shows a porthole that was also decorated in the Bizarre
shop.
‘Gibraltar‘ sits most easily on round shapes. In such shapes, the placement of the sea/sand
interface is not so critical. However, as in the image shown here, the use of a Leda plate with its overall
square shape has posed a problem for the paintress.
Although less sunny in appearance than Appliqué Palermo, ‘Gibraltar’ is none the less a great
pattern whose pastel colours and naturalistic scene would have been less challenging to the general
market than some of its contemporaries in the Bizarre line. It remains very popular with collectors, a
tribute to its enduring charm. ‘Gibraltar’ would have lent itself to photolithographic production owing to its
pastel tones and soft look.
Cruiseware
Following ‘Gibraltar’, in 1934 Clarice Cliff
introduced her Cruiseware series of printed
patterns. This was a light-hearted series of images
of shipboard life – principally, flirting, loafing and
other hedonistic pursuits. Although the series is
discussed more fully in The Agora Vol 2 No 5,
some additional information gained by the author
since that article is presented here.
The Cruiseware series was originally
intended for decoration on Biarritz ware but did
appear on both Stamford and Bonjour shapes. In its
original form, the print - according to the pattern
book - was produced in scarlet. Mid-1930
examples seen by the author and from
contemporary advertisements indicate that the
Contemporary advertising showing Stamford teaware
decorated in Cruiseware
design was also printed in blue and applied over a white, glazed body. Hand enamelling was either nonexistent or minimal but the edge lines or bands were in matching colours.
5
When re-introduced in 1956, the print was produced in black with some coloured hand
enamelling. Interestingly, the original 1934 backstamp was re-issued as well and obviously it was not
thought worth the effort to remove the Bizarre name. Hence, contrary to what is generally accepted, the
use of the Bizarre backstamp did not cease in 1936. Rather, 1956/57 is more accurate. The assertion is
irrefutable – the registered design number on the palette-shaped saucers establishes the date.
‘Porthole’ (working name) Pattern number 6264
Hiawatha bowl decorated in Applique Pale 1
Pattern book drawing of ‘Porthole’
decorating instructions for ‘Porthole’
Pattern number 6264, dating from 1934, has been given the working name of ‘Porthole’. Some
consider this design a reduced version of ‘Gibraltar’ but the presence of a lighthouse in the pattern would
seems to preclude such an association. This pattern is a printed motif specifically for use on Biarritz
ware and was enamelled by the operatives in the Bizarre paintshop. It shows and imaginative use of the
characteristics of the Biarritz flatware shape. The instructions for a yellow and blue band around the
inner rim of the well continues the nautical flavour.
The interested observer will note that the decorating instructions call for the use of white enamel.
This colour was rarely used and can be seen decorating the version of ‘Silver Birch’ when depicted on a
green glaze.
‘Stralia’
The 1936 pattern ‘Stralia’, falls into that group of
dinnerware patterns decorated in burnished gold over a
broad band of colour. Another pattern in this group is the
tableware pattern ‘Reverie’ – a re-working of ‘Dryday’.
‘Stralia’ is a simple design of yachts under sail over a
broad blue-green band. This design is sometimes thought
to be a reduced version of ‘Gibraltar’ for production as a
tableware design. The design connection between
6
‘Gibraltar’ and ‘Stralia’ is indeed very tenuous. It is limited to the principal design element viz. the yachts.
Even these are sometimes depicted in a perspective and elaborated detail quite unseen in ‘Gibraltar’.
The cool blue-green band tones down the burnished gold and makes the design a suitable one
for a themed table setting – as shown in Clarice Cliff’s arrangement (right). In this she has complimented
the nautical design on the tableware with her Fish condiment set and shape 829 vase.
The name for this pattern is clearly derived from the rendition of “Australia” as spoken by an
Australian and heard through foreign ears.
As can be appreciated
from this brief overview,
Clarice Cliff did not use
nautical themes to any great
extent at the
Wilkinson/Newport pottery. It
is to be noted that she did
design, for Shorter and Sons,
some shapes showing
nautical themes. What we
can be assured is that the
small range she did design
show a firm sense of
pleasing style and, when
presented chronologically,
show that Clarice Cliff was
sensitive to and met the
changing tastes of the time.
Greg Slater NSW
Contemporary advertisement of tableware decorated in ‘Stralia’
7
‘Jonquil’
The early 1930’s pattern ‘Jonquil’ and its
alternative colourway, ‘Lydiat’ fall into the very
extensive floral group of patterns that are
supported by Delecia runnings. Both ‘Jonquil’ and
‘Lydiat’ are identical in design composition, many
examples of each show rather irregular outlining
and hasty enamelling.
‘Jonquil’ can be easily distinguished from
‘Lydiat’ in that its principal flower (which in no way
resembles a jonquil) is enamelled in green rather
than yellow and the associated leaves are green
rather than black. Also, the flowers in ‘Jonquil’ are
Leda plate decorated in ‘Jonquil’
supported by a partial, coral background. In ‘Lydiat’ there is no supporting colour apart from the
Honeyglaze on which the design has been decorated. This absence of supporting colour lends an
“unfinished” air to ‘Lydiat’.
The Delecia runnings are the same in both patterns except that green has been added to the
yellow, brown and grey used for ‘Lydiat’. In both patterns, the floral elements are separated by a yellow
line from which the Delecia runnings appear
to spring. This dividing line is common to
other patterns in the group, i.e. Delecia
‘Pansies’, D. Citrus, D. ‘Peaches’, D. ‘Pears’,
D. ‘Poppy’ to name just a few.
Like most of the Delecia supported
patterns, ‘Jonquil’/’Lydiat’ are simple in
construction with the principal design
elements occupying only a small part of the
edge of the ware. The remainder of the
Pattern book drawing for ‘Jonquil’
surface was completed by runnings, thus producing an “all-over” colour effect. Such a decorative
scheme had attractions for the factory in that the various elements of the total design were easily
allocated to many operatives thus enabling efficient large volume production.
8
First introduced in 1933, these patterns were produced
in a modest volume, judging from the amount that has
come down to the present day. From examples seen
by the author, it would seem that both were produced,
perhaps sporadically, until about 1936.
Although, it is likely that ‘Jonquil’/’Lydiat’ were
primarily intended for morning/afternoon tea or coffee
ware, these designs may also be seen, although
rarely, decorated on fancy ware such as vases and
wall plaques. Their use on flat tableware is less likely
as this would have necessitated the omission of the
Pattern book drawing for ‘Jonquil’
Delecia runnings and leaving just the floral/leaf design – something that would not have a great market
appeal. This is not to say that dinnerware versions on Delecia based designs are unknown. Clarice Cliff
did produce some but recognised that the Delecia runnings could easily be damaged by cutlery or food
acids.
Overall, ‘Jonquil’ and ‘Lydiat’ might not be described as particularly prepossessing designs.
Rather, they are simple and unchallenging patterns that look good in display but not demand attention.
For the collector, who collects by themes, both ‘Jonquil’ and ‘Lydiat’ are important because they form an
integral part of the Delecia based design series and show Clarice Cliff’s skill in producing novel designs.
Greg Slater NSW
Biarritz and Dafodil ware decorated in ‘Jonquil’
9
Gloria ‘Tulip’
The Gloria range was a short-lived, underglaze series of Bizarre designs
released in 1930. This range, like so many others from Clarice Cliff’s early Bizarre
period, represented her determination to
diversify the range of decorated pottery
produced by the Wilkinson/Newport
pottery. Gloria, like many others
(Inspiration, Latona, Moderne etc), had
only a brief production run of less than
two years.
The Gloria range, in itself, was a diverse
group of designs. Most were based on
floral elements but a few showed
somewhat sophisticated landscapes.
With, perhaps, the exception of Gloria
‘Crocus’ (see page 63 of
Comprehensively Clarice Cliff), the Gloria
designs did not appear to have been reWall plaque decorated in Gloria ‘Tulip’
issued as on glaze patterns. In the case of Gloria ‘Crocus’, this pattern appeared in about 1934,
decorated on the apple-green, Summer glaze.
The characteristics that set the Gloria patterns apart from other contemporary Bizarre/Fantasque
designs are that it was decorated under glaze using enamel colours mixed with water. Mixing colours
with water rather than the standard vegetable turpentine and fat oil is not unusual. With on glaze
decoration, the fat oil-based mix is necessary for the enamel colours to adhere to the glaze before firing.
Whereas, with underglaze work, the colours applied will soak directly into the rough, porous biscuit ware.
Close examination of Gloria ware will show that each brush-stroke is darker at its commencement and
shading along its length – particularly noticeable in outlining and fine bands. The disadvantage of this
technique is that mistakes could not be erased – perhaps one of the deciding factors for Gloria’s
discontinuation.
10
After enamelling, Gloria patterns were covered with a thin, white Latona glaze. This adds to the
muted, pastel effect although it can make some pieces look slightly dirty or soiled. The matte Latona
glaze also gives the piece a slightly rough feel.
In the opinion of the author, Gloria ‘Tulip’ is perhaps the most successful of the floral patterns in
the Gloria range. It is a strong, well-balanced design that uses Tulips, Daffodils and leaves. When
presented on flatware and decorated concentrically, one can appreciate its symmetry made informal by
the diagonally opposed profile daffodil and small tulip. In this pattern the floral elements, accompanied
by straight and reflexed leaves, appear to spring from an unseen ground. This floral group immediately
fixes the observer’s eye and makes the design look like one of Clarice Cliff’s many stylised floral
patterns. However, the pattern starts to take on the appearance of a landscape when attention is drawn
to the scalloped clouds and blue sky. In these, there is a feeling of the open air and of space. Thus we
see another of Clarice Cliff’s subtle techniques used to surprise the observer. Had a similar sky and
clouds been applied to Gloria ‘Garden’, they would have made that pattern a little more interesting.
It is most likely that Clarice Cliff developed the Gloria range as a balance to the high gloss,
stridently coloured on glaze designs that comprised most of the Bizarre range at the time. There is no
doubt that Clarice Cliff was particularly sensitive to the variety of tastes in the market and in response
tried to produce “something for everyone”.
Patternbook drawing for Gloria ‘Tulip’
11
An Interesting Clarice Cliff Fake.
This “Clarice Cliff” piece will be
familiar to many readers as it
appeared a few times on EBay. The
author, when on a recent tour of
southern New South Wales, was
pleasantly surprised to find it in a
large antiques shop in Gundagai.
Whilst its price tag indentified it as a
Clarice Cliff item, its asking price
($160) showed that the owner knew it
was not genuine. However, the
adhesive price label did not indicate a
“reproduction” – a case of caveat
emptor!
The author was inclined to buy
it because it presented a number of
interesting features. All are indicative
of a modern reproduction, executed
by a skilled amateur with the intention
of fraudulent representation.
The shape
The reproducer here has selected a
shape that
A large modern reproduction of Clarice Cliff’s ‘Gibraltar’
was not used by the Wilkinson/Newport pottery. In the early 1920’s Wilkinson’s
used a vase shape that showed similar side support rings but these were
simply embossings and with these, any similarity ends.
The shape is a large lidded jar 340mm (h) x 190mm (d), slip cast from
low quality earthenware. The walls are thick and somewhat uneven. The body
colour is a good approximation of Honeyglaze and there is a coating of clear
glaze over which the design has been applied. The shape and quality of
Early 1920’s Wilkinson
vase
12
manufacture is reminiscent of the Chinese-made blank pottery shapes that were popular with home craft
enthusiasts in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The whole is heavily crazed, suggestive of re-firing.
The Design
The reproducer has chosen one of Clarice Cliff’s most recognisable and collectable designs – ‘Gibraltar’.
The Colours
It is obvious that the painter copied from a genuine piece of ‘Gibraltar’ rather than from a picture.
Generally, the colours are well matched to the original although the pink is a little too much on the purple
side.
The Execution
Overall, the execution of the design is as good as one
will find on most genuine ‘Gibraltar’ pieces. The outlining and
enamelling is sure and confident. The sea/sand interface has
been executed parallel to the base so that the design does not
look strange when displayed. The curved lines on the surface
of the sea show superior brush technique - superior even to
the similar design elements on the original shown in the first
article of this issue. The excellent execution of smooth “S”
shaped curves is a measure of the painter’s skill.
The design is well balanced due to the painter’s careful
attention to the scale of the pattern’s individual elements.
Banding and lining has caused the painter some
Lid showing design wrapping
difficulty. It is in the appreciation of this aspect that less experienced collectors would do well to note the
differences between genuine Clarice Cliff bands and modern,
amateur executions. The fine lines in this piece have been done
in
arcs with a characteristic heavy commencement and a tailing off
of the colour as the brush becomes exhausted. Genuine Clarice
Cliff lining is almost exclusively done in a single sweep and
rarely show a commencement or end point. This is because
Detail showing good brush control
Clarice Cliff’s lining and banding operatives practiced this technique hundreds of times a day and knew
how to load a brush with the right consistency of colour so it would execute an unbroken line. Bizarre
13
operative, Marjory Higginson related to the author that banding and lining are best done in a cool area
so that the colour does not dry quickly and this allows for an even distribution of the colour. High
working room temperature could have caused the lining and banding
difficulties shown in this piece.
The broader bands show brushstrokes that are not concentric
which suggests that the painter did not have access to a suitable
turntable and hand rest essential to execute smooth bands on tall
Detail showing banding defect
objects.
The “feel” of the piece.
The collector can learn much about a piece through one’s tactile sense. When one’s hand is run over
this piece, one has the sensation of feeling very fine abrasive (sand or glass) paper. The piece lacks the
glassy smoothness normally associated with on-glaze decoration. This roughened texture can originate
from three possible sources:
i) The use of an old blank. Glaze fired blanks will absorb air moisture
through micro cracks and the longer the time span between glaze firing
and enamel firing, the more moisture will be absorbed. An amateur kiln
operation who re-fires an old piece will find that the glaze will bubble
and “spit out” (Marjory Higginson’s husband Jim’s term). These fine
bubbles, produced during firing would cause the surface to become
rough. The only way to avoid this bubbling is for the operative to
Glaze pitting on handle
undertake multiple re-firings of the blank at low temperatures in order to dry the piece before
any on-glaze decoration is done and then undertake an enamel firing.
ii) Glaze firing done at too low a temperature. Glaze is composed of metallic oxides to give colour
supported in a mix of ground glass or similar. This glass will melt during firing and cause the
enamel to fuse to the glaze. If the firing temperature is not high enough, the glass will only
partly melt and cause the surface to remain rough.
iii) Poorly ground enamels. Pottery operatives would grind the powdered enamels in a mixture of fat
oil (reduced vegetable turpentine) and ordinary vegetable
turpentine. This grinding would ensure that the enamel’s oxide
and base particles will be as fine as possible. If the enamel
powder is simply mixed with a medium, the particles of glass will
remain of varying size. The larger particles will not completely
Detail showing poorly ground
colour.
14
melt during firing, and this, too, will cause the surface to be rough. Poorly ground enamel
colours will also exhibit dark spots of colour in areas where the enamel is applied thinly.
In the example here, all three defects are present. Bubbling of the glaze is noted on the undecorated
handles. There is poor fusion of the enamel colours to the glaze resulting in a rough surface and some
flaking of colour. Also noted, are dark mauve spots in the mauve enamelling indicating that the colour
has not been well ground. It must be said that, according to Jim Hall, Wilkinson kiln operator, quality
control in firing was not the Wilkinson/Newport pottery’s strong point. Thus collectors will be able to
identify in some Clarice Cliff pieces, the same firing defects noted in (i) and (iii) in the list above.
The backstamp.
The presence or absence of a backstamp is not a strong indicator of authenticity. Collectors well know
that application of a backstamp on Clarice Cliff pieces by the Wilkinson/Newport pottery operatives could
be very irregular.
However, where an apparently authentic backstamp is present, the collector should keep in mind that
modern reproduction Clarice Cliff backstamps can be purchased and fired on to fake pieces or even
genuine Wilkinson hand painted pieces. (See The Agora Vol 13 No 4 page
47).
In the example here, a partial post 1936 Clarice Cliff backstamp can just
be discerned – the remains of “Cliff” can be recognised and by extension,
Partial, fake Clarice Cliff
backstamp
small parts of the “c” and “l” for “Clarice” together with the underlining.
There are some issues with this backstamp, which has been
applied on glaze. Firstly, ‘Gibraltar’ was a Bizarre pattern, so most examples should show a Bizarre
stamp. However, a dealer with some small knowledge and endeavouring to defend the piece may claim
that it is a late matching done after 1936. Further, the particular green colour used for this backstamp is
not known to the author.
It is possible that the backstamp was deliberately damaged prior to application in order for any seller to
claim, when questioned by a suspiciously minded collector, that the backstamp is too obscure to be
made out. Alternatively, the dealer could claim, when attempting to convince a gullible or poorly informed
purchaser, that enough remains of the backstamp to identify it as a genuine Clarice Cliff piece.
The author was most interested to know the provenance of this piece but the staff of the antiques
centre indicated that the owner was overseas at the time. A request for information from the owner was
left with the staff along with the author’s contact details. To date, there has been no contact.
Although this piece is an obvious fake, its defects form a catalogue of considerations that a new collector
will do well to learn when assessing a piece that is a little outside their experience.
Greg Slater NSW
15
Greg Slater NSW
Clarice Cliff
Publicity Art
Work
Whilst much interest is
focussed on Clarice Cliff’s
designs and shapes for pottery,
there has been little
appreciation of her
photographic and art work for
the Wilkinson/Newport Pottery
publicity machine.
Her work, shown here,
for The Pottery Gazette and
Glass Trade Review is a good
example of Clarice Cliff’s talent
for pictorial composition.
The artwork is at once
arresting in composition and
subject matter; especially so
when compared with the
conservative nature of other
advertisements in the gazette.
For the time, the advertisement is quite as challenging as was the pottery itself. This is not surprising as
Bizarre ware was aimed at the modern woman, the person who wanted something different.
The advertisement is dated at 1st August 1929, less than a year after the release of Clarice Cliff’s
‘Original Bizarre’ and shows a range of shapes and designs well-known to collectors. Such
advertisements can be a rich source of information regarding the production of particular designs.
Naturally, Clarice Cliff would want to present the latest designs in the print media wherever possible for
being “up to date” or having the “latest” was a regular theme in the pottery’s advertising campaign.
For interest sake, it is worth listing the elements of the artwork that can be identified with some
level of confidence.
16
At the top, an Odilon tureen lid forms the suggestion of a roof and whose edge is decorated with
ancient Egyptian frieze motifs. Although the Archaic series was in production at this time, to date, there
is no information available to the author to suggest that this series was also produced in reduced form
for tableware. Also, edge decoration of Odilon tureens is not at all common. Below and to the left is a
plate in one of Clarice Cliff’s greatest patterns, ‘Ravel’. Under the ‘Ravel’ plate is a roll of print paper
used in the production of lithographs. Across the plate is a YoYo vase whose fins are decorated in a
geometric pattern used in the Inspiration series of designs. (see page 187 Clarice Cliff for Collectors).
Across the top of the YoYo vase is a board bearing an undecorated Conical teapot, a shape 381 Conical
bowl decorated in a Latona pattern, two shape 366 vases, one decorated in an geometrical Latona
design, the other, what appears to be Latona ‘Tree’ and a bowl which appears to decorated in ‘Liberty’.
Next to the board is a bottle kiln whose smoke includes the Bizarre name. Below the kiln are a
banding/lining operative’s tools – a turntable with a banding and lining brushes. A stack of saucers have
been placed next to the turntable. The partial face of an operative with eyes down, concentrating on her
work (a strict requirement in the Bizarre decorating shop) peeps from behind the kiln. Similar partial
faces of operatives were noted in other Clarice Cliff art work (see below and The Agora Vol 13 No34).
Under the saucers is a ginger jar decorated in ‘Caprice’, behind
which is a shape 347 planter decorated in what might be ‘Double
V’ (collectors will have their own views on this). Behind the base
of the YoYo vase is a shape 363 vase decorated in Inspiration
‘Asters’. Over the top of the latter, Clarice Cliff has placed
another human element in the form of the arm of an operative
operating a plate forming device.
To finish off, Clarice Cliff’s signature appears at the bottom. It is
interesting to note that although the pottery’s name is in bold at
the bottom, “Bizarre” and “Clarice Cliff” – two important
messages to buyers are less obvious - one has to look about the picture to find them. In later publicity
artwork, Clarice Cliff’s name was to become far more centre stage.
The whole design is an effective collage of some of the various production elements used in the
creation of Bizarre ware. It bears some similarities with art work for posters and print advertisements
produced at the Bauhaus for the Wiemar Exhibition in 1923. This shows that Clarice Cliff, in forming her
unique style, drew inspiration from various artistic movements in the major European centres.
Greg Slater NSW
17