1 A Newly Described Wilkinson Pattern Clarice Cliff Tableware Part Josefina a newly described pattern 49

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2 1 A Newly Described Wilkinson Pattern 44 2 Clarice Cliff Tableware Part Josefina a newly described pattern 49 4 Country Scene Harold Walker 52 6 Gayfare - Factory name 53 7 Dolly Cliff Patterns Part Viking boat 56 The Agora s address is contact@theagora.com.au The Agora s Web site is 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

3 A Newly Described Wilkinson Pattern June Trellis (wn) June Trellis (working name) was entered into the Wilkinson pattern book on the 21 st of May 1929 as pattern number 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 44

4 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 See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page

5 Clarice Cliff tableware Part 27 Pattern number 6483 Holborn (wn) Biarritz plate decorated in Holborn (green) Impressed mark March 1936 Pattern book watercolour for Holborn (pink) 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 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 46

6 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 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 47

7 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 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. Is a cheerful pattern that whose attractive palette of colours, set off by the green glaze, that would have made an informal lunch table setting most inviting. Archival drawing for design placement 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 See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page

8 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 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 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. 49

9 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 between the floral and geometric elements, fine Pattern book drawing for Josefina 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 Pattern book drawings for pattern placement Round plate decorated in Josefina 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. 50

10 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 See Comprehensively Clarice Cliff page 121 and The Agora Vol 6 No 2 pp

11 Country Scene by Harold Walker In Volume 8 No 1 of The Agora 7, a design from Harold Walker s Country Scene series was discussed at length 8. 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. Isis vase in 'Country Scene' 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. Of interest is the hand written Bizarre backstamp and this has been written with some skill. To write cursive script with a fine lining brush requires considerable brush technique. As in the previously described Country Scene 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 July 2004 pp Illustrated Comprehensively Clarice Cliff p

12 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

13 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.. Pattern book watercolour for 'Batanga' 5341 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 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. 54

14 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 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 55

15 Viking Boat Clarice Cliff s Viking boat first appeared in 1927 and enjoyed a long production run that finished about 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 19 th and early 20 th 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. 56

16 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 it is filled with flowers. Archival promotional image of Viking boat 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 decorated in Anemone. Pattern book instruction for Viking boat decorated in Aura (green)

17 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 interest to a room display. 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 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