eBay's Finest

The little bee that forms the finial of the honey box got me thinking about all of eBay's busy bees who put in so much effort to describe their lots in every detail, photograph them from every angle, and then post them so quickly to the winning bidders. All at the cost of postage and done in peoples spare time, no doubt, juggled about work and other commitments.
The honey box arrived yesterday.  I won it at a real-life auction held by Burstall and Hewett about 6 weeks ago (with an online bid of course).  Paid for the same day, it still took several phone calls and emails to get it here, even 6 weeks later and at a cost of postage far more then I've ever paid on eBay. And now it's arrived it turns out that there are several small chips, including one to the lovely bee finial, that were not described in the condition report.

Top Spot

Another reason not to stop buying Delphis is this 10 inch plate painted by Patricia Wells in 1966.  It's probably my best looking Delphis plate with this shape number.  It was on eBay earlier this month and now has a prime position in our living room.

Summer of Love

Throughout the Spring of this year I did a reasonable job at slimming down my collection of Poole Dephis plates, but come mid-summer it's all started to get out of hand again.  But then, how could any man resist this simple, but perfectly executed, little floral pin dish.  Fifty years old and fresh as a daisy. So it's now mine from eBay last week, painted by Angela Wyburgh in the late 1960's.

Missing Letters

A small plate 6 inch diameter, I think the shape number is 199 and the pattern DC.  There's a similar pattern with red triangles that has the code DD hilda-trim-jam-pot. So as ever with Poole pattern codes we're left wondering, where are DA and DB? or maybe that just me. 

And Here's One I Made Earlier

I reckon dating to the late 1920's this time,  a similar (but significantly different pattern to the last post) YO vase, with a more typical mat surface glaze.  (And for anyone who didn't notice, this and the last post were mildly autistic, boy, trainspotting heaven for Rob)

Shiny Development

This YO pattern vase, shape number 202 was painted by Gertie Warren who worked at Poole from 1922 until 1927.  It has a red clay body covered in a white clay slip, but has an unusual  shiny surface glaze similar to that found on the grey slip covered pots that were made up until 1924.  So I rekcon this vase dates to exactly 1924 and  was the final stage of development before the the final Poole look that lasted for the next (and most significant) decade of production.

Blue Aegean

As well as being more or less blue, this Poole Aegean sweet dish has a nice bleached out appearance much more in keeping with something you might find washed up on an eastern Mediterranean beach.  It's signed by Carolyn Wills.

The Industry of Women

A plate from more simple times maybe.  But this little plate has got me thinking again how, almost without exception, Poole Pottery was decorated by women, with probably the majority of it thrown by women and with women having pretty much equal input into the overall designs.  However, like the rest of British industry, this was probably not recognised in wages paid.
So a plate from more simple times maybe, but hopefully there was an equally well commemorated and fun Society of Women, at Poole.
The dolphin on this 5 inch shape 49 pin dish is printed, though i'm not sure if the lettering is hand-done.  The back of the plate has a hand-painted 106, so maybe a numbered edition.