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The celebrated firm of Mintons was founded by in 1793 by Thomas Minton (1765–1836) at Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England as ‘Thomas Minton and Sons’, producing earthenware. The initial ranges were standard tablewares in blue transfer-printed or painted earthenware, including the ever-popular Willow pattern. By the mid nineteenth century and in partnership with Michael Hollins, Mintons began the production of decorative finishes for the interior and in particular floor tiles which enjoyed enormous demand and were the subject of numerous prestigious commissions including a contract for the flooring of the American Capitol. This was followed by the introduction of the plain white glazed ‘Parian’ wares and then the Italian inspired ‘majolica’ pieces with their richly coloured lead glazes. Mintons continued to follow popular trends, working with Christopher Dresser, recruiting Louis Solon from Sevres who had developed pâte-sur-pâte wares and finally contributing to Art Nouveau ceramics with a speciality in secessionist wares.

But the manufacture of tableware continued alongside all these other developments and Mintons adopted and adapted the popular ‘Indian Tree’ pattern which was first produced by Coalport in 1801. This design fused elements from Indian textiles and Chinese ceramics into an amalgam with immediate appeal. The pattern includes the crooked branch of a tree and a partial landscape including exotic flowers and leaves with a palette of colours emphasising green, blue, pink, and orange, resembling quite closely the Chinese export wares decorated in ‘Famille Rose’ enamels which had been exported to Europe in great quantities in the eighteenth century. Many of Coalport’s rivals, including Spode, Wedgwood and Royal Worcester produced their own versions of the design, but Mintons’ interpretation was held to be one of the most successful.

It was used by Mintons to decorate a variety of shapes, mainly dinner and tea wares, but the toilet pitcher and matching basin are seldom found in this pattern. Both the forms are extremely elegant, the pitcher with light fluting, a scalloped rim and a complementary handle, while the basin, also lightly fluted, employs simple lines with a turnover rim which follow the shape of a Chinese original. All the standard elements of the pattern can be seen, in particular the twisted tree, and the diaper work borders again reflect Chinese originals.

Both pieces are marked with the pattern number ‘T 216’ and a Minton stamp, the form of which allows fairly accurate dating. The globe topped by a crown with the banner ‘Mintons’ was used from 1873-1912 but ‘England’ was only added after 1891, giving a circa date in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, probably around 1900. The original toilet set, which would have included the pitcher and basin along with, probably, a chamber pot, a soap dish, candlesticks and other accessories, was clearly a ‘deluxe’ item at the time and its quality is still apparent today when it can be enjoyed simply for its decorative appeal and as a reminder of a past era of grandeur.

The Empire Porcelain Company was established in 1896 at the Empire Works in Stoke Road, Hanley, Stoke on Trent. A wide range of pottery and porcelain was subsequently produced until the factory’s closure in 1967. The various marks include the initials EPC, EP or the word Empire. The form of the mark seen here occurs on the earliest pieces made between 1896 and 1912. Blue ground pieces with mythological scenes were produced in a variety of forms during this period, some decorative, such as ornamental vases, and some more practical, as here : modest but graceful accessories for the Edwardian drawing room.

Aquincus was an ancient Roman settlement, eventually to become the town Obuda, the third of the three cities which were merged to form Budapest and the oldest district in the Hungarian capital. In 1854, Hüttl Tivadar set up a shop in Pest selling porcelain eventually becoming involved in porcelain manufacture itself with such success that by the early 1900s he was supplying the court at Buda, eventually supplanting the rival firm of Herend. Despite legal battles amongst the family concerning the ownership of the business, the firm continued to prosper until the 1950s when the new communist government decided to nationalize the factory, renaming it Aquincum Porcelángyár. Tableware, which had been the staple of the Hüttls’ production was replaced by figurines which rapidly enjoyed great popularity. One of the principle artists was Antonia Szabó who became chief designer in 1966. With the end of socialism, the firm went into private hands in 1993 but suffered an immediate and rapid decline causing it to close soon after.

This figure may possibly, then, have been designed by Szabó himself but it is certainly typical of the pieces produced in the early years of state control and perhaps one of the most appealing. The form of the mark corresponds with a dating to the 1950s or 1960s and the piece has both historical associations and considerable decorative appeal.

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.

The form here is more commonly associated with pieces made in China and is that of a small low table designed to be used in combination with a ‘kang’, a raised brick platform heated from below that served as a family's main living, sleeping, and dining area during colder months. But similar pieces were also made by the Japanese, sometimes in black lacquer with mother of pearl inlay, and the style of the carving here suggests Japanese rather than Chinese workmanship. All the decorative elements seen here (phoenix, pine, waves) can be found elsewhere in Japanese art but there does not seem to be any specific symbolic meaning intended, just an imaginative composition by an accomplished craftsman. Dating is probably to the first half of the twentieth century and the carved marking are almost certainly later, with the original format ‘dymo’ label dating most likely to the 1960s.

Bagley Glass was established in Knottingly, England (south east of Leeds) in 1871. Bottle makers at first they branched out in 1912 and opened a department 'The Crystal Glass company' which made crystal and pressed glass. But it was for the latter that Bagley were to become famous and they became the biggest manufacturer of pressed glass in England in the years before and after the war. Many of their designs were influenced by the Art Nouveau styles and this flower vase, unusually presented complete with its frog and stand, is a classic example of their range.

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.

George Davidson founded the Teams Flint Glass Works in 1867, which later became known as George Davidson & Co. In the 1880s the company began producing pressed glass tableware in a variety of shapes and by the 1920s their designs began to reflect the new Art Deco trends. The firm continued production until the 1980s, closing in 1987. This vase is typical of their Art Deco inspired designs although is rather less commonly found today. It has the pattern number '34 'SVF', 'S' standing for 'small', 'V' for 'vase' and 'F' for 'flared rim' and was produced from 1934 to 1942 (see www.cloudglass.com). A slightly larger version was made as well with the pattern number '34' 'VF'. The swirling effect was typical of Davidson's 'cloud glass' designs, one of its most popular ranges. In mint condition, this vase might well fill a gap in a collection of Davidson pieces or pre war British glass generally.

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Vallauris is a tourist town of the French Riviera near Antibes taking its name form the Provencal ‘Valauria’ meaning ‘the golden valley’. It is divided into two parts: the upper town which is the old centre and the seaside district which runs from the port along the coast, towards Antibes. Deposits of clay were found there in Roman times giving the impetus for the creation of potteries which tended to concentrate on domestic wares. Production was then continuous with an infux of craftsmen from Genoa, Italy, in the sixteenth century and the development of artistic activity in the seventeenth. The advent of the railways in the late nineteenth century led to an even further expansion of production and companies were established there which achieved widespread fame and recognition notably those of Massier and Foucard-Jourdan.

After the war, Picasso, along with a group of fellow artists, settled in Vallauris and it proved to be a congenial stimulus. He began to experiment with producing ceramics in 1947 and was to continue working extensively in this field until his death in 1973 (see image 12). There were collaborations, one with the ceramicist Robert Picault and another with Suzanne and Georges Ramié, the owners of the Madoura workshop, where Picasso worked on his productions. Indeed it was at the Madoura workshop that Picasso met Jacqueline Roque, a saleswoman working there and 44 years his junior. They married in 1961 and remained together until his death in 1973, Jacqueline being the inspiration for many of the designs which Picasso created.

It would be fanciful, though, to see the influence of the famous artist on these vases although they were very much created in the tradition of Vallauris pottery with which he was so in sympathy. The town seems to have become particularly fashionable in the 1950s and 1960s and it was around that time that these vases were made. Many pieces were created in lead glazed earthenware, the overall decoration resembling the ‘lava’ glazes used in West German pottery of the same period. These two vases are similar and complementary. The bodies are concave with a short foot and a widely flaring mouth; there are loop handles at each side. The brown glaze at the base is succeeded by a blend of mottled greens and greys and topped with a vibrant red at the mouth. The interiors are glazed brown as is the base with the unglazed foot rim showing the fairly coarse clay used. Some but not all Vallauris pieces are marked and there are many unmarked examples as here. Considerable skill must have been required to produce the variety of glaze effects and the results are striking. As two matching items, these vases have considerable decorative appeal and are worthy examples of a long established tradition of ceramic production.

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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.

These pieces represent something of a puzzle. Seen the right way round (with the handle on the right) they are plain and the decoration only reveals itself on the reverse. This suggests a playful intent to conceal which, when combined with the subject matter, suggests something a bit ‘naughty’ which could confirm the second interpretation of what the seated man is holding! The paste, and general style of the pieces, looks continental and a German origin might be a good guess, but no more than that. The blue glazed jug has an impressed mark to the base ‘186 [plus an unidentifiable number]’ which might be the date but is more likely the pattern number; a dating of around 1900 for both seems reasonable - certainly there is an ‘old’ look to the pieces. There are one or two similar examples but little in the way of firm information. One for a collector to puzzle out!

Lancaster & Sons Ltd were manufacturers of earthenware at the Dresden works, Tinkersclough, in the Shelton area of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England. The firm was founded in 1899 under the name ‘Lancaster and Barker’ was renamed ‘Lancaster & Sons Ltd’ in the early 1900s and continued production until 1944. In the 1920s they produced various pieces with rural landscape scenes of which this is an example. Some see reminiscences of the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement here but the mark found on the bottom clearly dates the piece to the 1920s. The yellow lustre glaze is interesting and free from the crazing sometimes found.

The firm which later became Shorter and Son was first set up by Arthur Shorter in 1878 with a partner James Boulton in Stoke on Trent. Their products were solidly in the main-stream of Victorian taste - majolica wares of all types predominated. Time saw another generation join the firm and various amalgamations took place. One of the sons, Colley Shorter, developed a close association with Clarice Cliff whom he eventually married. Her designs, while concentrated on the wares signed with her name, also fed in to the productions of Shorter and Sons and the range of their wares expanded considerably in the 1920s and 1930s.

‘Fish Ware’, as it became known was introduced in the late 1920s and rapidly became one of their best selling lines. Initially production was confined to flat ware and in 1935 a part service was acquired by the Duchess of York, later to become Queen Elizabeth. The range expanded and the design of the gravy boat and stand, introduced in 1936 (and included in the present selection), was attributed to Cliff herself. There were further additions and the late 1950s saw the addition of salt and pepper pots on a wavy tray (also included in the present selection). This service, then, probably dates to around 1960 a little before the firm was effectively taken over by Crown Devon in 1964 and the eventual loss of the identity of its wares. The popularity of the line is easily understood and our present selection is an excellent memento of the design.

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.

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 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 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.

Harmony Kingdom is a business set up by Peter Calvesbert in 1992. Their studio is situated in the Malvern Hills and they have been producing whimsical figurine sculptures for over 25 years which have an enthusiastic following, particularly in the USA. ‘In Fine Feather’ is a discontinued item so now has a very modest rarity value in addition to its intrinsic charm.

Bianchini Ferier was a silk weaving manufacturer based in Lyons. Founded in 1888 by Francois Atuyer, Charles Bianchini and Francois Ferier, it first produced fine silk damasks mainly for the clothing industry. After gaining a silver medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889 it went on to enjoy great success and many well known artists created designs for it in the early C20th, most notably Raoul Dufy. Production continued until the early 1990s when the firm was acquired by Tissages Bauman.

This print resembles designs in the firm’s archives from the late C19th and was probably created in the early C20th. It was designed for framing and the dotted line definition of the composition can be seen at the edges. Presented now in a modern surround it provides an excellent example of the firm’s work and a reflection of the Art Nouveau style so popular when it was produced.

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 beaker 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 first as ‘profiles’ or ‘shades’ silhouettes became a common form of portraiture before the development of photography but continued to be made well after and indeed into the C20th. This pair of portrait heads, two from a series of twenty according to the label on the reverse, were produced in a studio set up by Enid Elliot Linder in the 1970s. Starting in a room at the back of a house in Babbacombe, Enid Linder, an artist with a great talent for painting silhouettes, began production in 1972 and, within the space of a few months, helped by her husband and four assistants was producing 500 pictures a week, necessitating a move to larger premises on the Teignmouth Road. By 1980, the ‘Pennyfarthing Galleries’, as they had become known, had sold an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 pictures all around the world. All were all produced at the Teignmouth Road premises, and checked and signed in pencil by the artist. Various series were produced and this pair of portraits come from what seems to have been a series of generic images of early nineteenth century figures. The influence of Jane Austen is obvious and these two silhouette heads are an attractive reminder of a tradition of portraiture with long historical associations.

Souvenirs and medals were produced, amongst which were silver plated powder compacts as here. The round container for the powder has a hinged lid revealing the powder well below, originally fitted with a mauve ribbon tasseled powder puff, and a mirror above. On the surface of the lid, which has a tab for lifting, is a stylised brass lion, a symbol of the British Empire, vitreous enameled in black, red and blue with the wording ‘British Empire Exhibition 1925 ’ There is a short rounded handle and the back has an engraved mark ‘Rd [registered] 689177’ for the patent number. While many were doubtless made (and there is another version with a more slender handle, with a ring at the end, and the background colourings of the lettering reversed) few of these compacts seem to have survived making this a desirable addition to a collection of British memorabilia.

This piece comes from an original tea service which would have comprised a wide variety of objects decorated in the same pattern to include a teapot, cover and stand, a caddy and cover, a sugar bowl, a cream jug and cover, bowls and saucers and so forth. The form can be seen (along with a matching teapot stand) at Lunsingh Scheurleer, Chinese Export Porcelain pl 149. Dating is to the middle of the Qianlong period (1736-1795) around 1760. The quality of the decoration speaks for itself and this piece has survived intact with very little wear to the decoration.

The format of the label (the complete version can be seen in image 9) dates this piece to the 1970s The design here with its Oriental influence and often termed ‘Canton’ was one of the most successful produced by Sylvac in the post war years. It was made in a variety of colourings and a variety of sizes, this example being exceptionally and unusually large making it a striking decorative accessory for a modern interior.

‘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.