A bit flowery

This vase came from eBay a couple of weeks ago. Shape number 198, YK pattern, it's not a pattern I've seen around much before, but I don't think it has so much going for it either, so maybe they weren't painted in such high numbers. Painted between 1934 and 1937, it has the -z- mark that Gladys Jefferys used until 1930, but it's not recorded who used this mark afterwards.

Triffid?

I've been looking out for a vase in this strange pattern for a while now, and found this one on eBay this month.  Shape number 581 is not the best shape for the pattern maybe, but this QL pattern doesn't seem to come up very often so i was pleased to win it.  Painted by Ethel Barrett, between 1922 and 1927.

It's no. 15 to me

This is the 15th and by quite a long way the biggest Bokhara range pot to join my collection.  The vase shape, painted in JB colours, came in two sizes. This one 675/2, at 8" tall is the larger of the two.  Like the rest of the Bokhara range its hand thrown, and this time painted by Mary Lowman in 1964.

Truda Carter on Wikipedia

I was browsing in Wikipedia at the weekend and noticed how poorly represented some of the stars of Poole Pottery are on there, and in general.   There's been a Poole Pottery entry on Wikipedia for a long while now, though it could be improved I'm sure, but no page for Truda Carter, or any other of the designers, until tonight.  And now look http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truda_Carter
I've not written much, as there's a general lack of biographical information available, but it would be great if others who know more were to add further information, or add other new pages - John Adams, Robert Jefferson, Guy Sydenham...... the list goes on and on.

So much for slowing down

When plates like this come along, I guess you have to have a go at bidding.  This is shape number 3, 8 inches in diameter, unsigned but carries the TV shaped studio mark that dates the plate to between 1962 and 1964.  I wonder who painted it? It would be nice to think Tony Morris.  Anyway, it came to me from Kays Auctioneers in Norfolk.

Also available in blue

I saw these for the first time on eBay this month and like their red brothers these spice jar,s designed by Robert Jefferson for Poole Pottery, are hand thrown forerunners if not trials for the Green Diamond spice jars that Poole began making in 1963.  So much choice!

Starting them young

Above is a sweet set of nursery ware designed by Robert Jefferson in 1962.  What you can't see on the mug, in addition to the the appaloosa horse, is that there's a zebra on the other side, and joining the seal, impala and polar bear, on the bowl, is a bactrian camel.  Which does seem like a rather specific group of animals.

The factory mark on the base dates this set to somewhere between 1967-72, so it could have been around in time for my 1st birthday.  And no doubt my collection would have been much better had I started collecting then.  But I have no regrets about this particular missed opportunity, as still I'm too attached to my very practical and happy Melmex plate below to have swapped.

Missing No 88

Shape number 88, painted by Patricia Wells, who worked at Poole between 1959 to 1973. This is the one size of these carved Delphis bowls that I hadn't collected, until last week.  A rather lovely blue colour, but at 7 inches in diameter it's a lot smaller than I'd expected, when compared to the whopping great shape 89s. 

Another star

So often pots appear to arrive in my collection in twos. Though there are not likely to be too many pots like this one around. The pattern is the same as this fantastic PI pattern vase I found at the end of last year.  This one in a different colourway, PU pattern, is shape number 113 and is painted by Rene Hayes.

No more camera shake

This 8 inch Delphis plate was painted by Patricia Wells in the late 1960's and I won it on eBay last week. Beautiful though it is, what has me more excited is the camera tripod I found in the attic last week too. It not only helped me to steady this shot, but also keep a level horizon for the photos I've used to update the Art Deco pages in the main website.

Chinese Blue glazed vase

 Decidedly green in colour, with a gorgeous mauve interior, this is the second vase I have in these Chinese Blue glazes that John Adams developed in the mid-1920's.  The high fired red earthenware body, curvaceous form and thick shiny glaze make for a very tactile vase.