Normal service will resume

But maybe not for several years.
After five years of determined blogging, this my second blog, has again been slightly over taken by events.
My first allotment blog had to end, along with my allotment tenancy 3 years ago, all because full time work got in the way. Now this blog is thwarted by a return to part time education,  So while I still be collecting Poole, I might not have so much time to share all of my finds.
I bought the vase above a fair few months ago.   I thought the Chinese blue bird pattern worked quite well on this shape, and at 9 inches tall it's a good size.  The pattern is PN and was painted by Anne Hatchard in the mid 1920s.

676/JB

This shape of Bokhara vase crops up less often than the other two shapes.  It comes in two sized, and at eight and tree quarter inches this is the taller one.

Straight Champions!

Arrrrrrh! Half drunk on a Friday night, I can contain myself no more. Signing up for the latest Stonewall.org.uk campaign my employer is now looking for straight allies and fight my (gay) corner. Am I the only gay man that is uneasy about Stonewall.org.uk representing me?
Like every other gay men my age, I grew up with my sexuality more or less criminalised.  As a young gay man, I've enjoyed breaking the law on many occasions and my current employer would certainly have stacked me at the time, had I been caught.
That all changed because of me and the actions of hundreds of thousands of other gay men and lesbians, some of them paid a huge price.  The law and society changed because of mass sexual disobedience. Straight allies did not do that, they cannot understand how it was, or how it is now, no matter how lovely they are.
I worry that when your persecutor becomes your champion in one fell swoop, maybe they have just found some other way of treading you into the ground.
Above, is a plate from about the time when homosexuality was partially decriminalised, painted by Jean Millership.

Eastern Promise

Our postman handed me this vase about 2 hours ago. It fits nicely with the bigger and better strategy I try in vain to stick to and my haste in posting the photo on here perhaps indicates how pleased I am to own it.   The 872 molded shape was designed by Harold Stabler between 1925 and 26, and works particularly well with this Persian or Turkish inspired DU pattern that was designed by Truda Carter. The vase was painted by Ann Hatchard.

A little Art Deco

I think this vase is about as Art Deco as Poole gets and packs a big jazzy punch for its 3 inches in height.  Shape no 501, JV pattern painted by Rene Hayes in the early 1930's.

Go Greece

Shape 293, KM pattern painted by Ethel Barrett in the early 1920's. This hand thrown plate is surprisingly heavy since it's potted so much thicker than anything mechanically jollied.
Having got that off my chest, I just wanted to say how glad I am about Greece's vote against austerity tonight.   For a long time I've seen myself as pro European, but with a UK EU referendum planned, the chance to throw a spanner in the works of an anti democratic, market orientated Europe. with London bankers at it's financial center. makes a No vote really quite appealing.  Calling the bluff on David Cameron's inept politicking would be the cherry on the cake.

Full coverage

I really like this pattern and love how it works on this squat vase (or bowl).  I have the same VX pattern on, what remains, the largest vase in my collection.
http://www.robspoolepottery.co.uk/traditional_poole_geometric_vases.htm#VX   A vase that I found in Newark several years ago, sometime before starting this blog.  On a vase that size this pattern is reduced to being a small if decorative border. Here, painted by Marian Heath in the late 1920's, it completely covers this pot.

Back to normal

This blue and yellow Portuguese Stripe vase is one of my latest eBay finds.  The pattern is HE and shape number 208.  It was made in the early 1920's and has an unknown X painters mark.

Why?

Maybe it's just me compensating for my cat allergy, but for a while now I thought it might be an idea to fill my dinner table with animal shaped crockery.   These Royal Daulton Bunnykins Country Cottage butler cream jug and baker preserve jar were at the Wetherby race course antiques fair a couple of weeks a go.  They are now serving tea regularly at our house.  I've my friend, who was with me at the time, to thank for giving me the encouragement or courage to buy them!

More triangles

This vase came from eBay back in April.  The pattern is RO and there is a CT painter mark that hasn't been assigned to a known painter.  The shape number is 345.  It has a quite shinny surface that I think dates it to about 1925.

Bringing up the rear

This egg cup arrived too late to be included in the photo of all my DD pattern pots.  Shape number 290 it was painted by Iris Skinner.

All the Ds

These DD pattern pots are arriving thick and fast, an egg cup arrived in the post yesterday, so this photo doesn't quite show all of them.

DD DD DD

And yet another DD pattern pot, It's the same shape of cream jug that would have accompanied the sugar shaker posted yesterday.  Shape 329 has quire a classical look to my eyes and the pattern fits really nicely on the shoulders. Painted by Gertie Warren between 1922 and 1927, it arrived with me from eBay last week.

DD DD

I've coveted sugar sifters for a while now, and been outbid on them  a few times.  So it was nice to win this one in the DD pattern.  The shape number is 759 I think, and it was painted Clarice Heath in the early 1930's.

DD

I like this DD pattern.  It appears here on a salt bowl, shape number 223,  painted by Hilda Hampton sometime between 1927 and 1934. It's only a little thing found on eBay a year of so ago, but recently I've found it some friends and I'll post pictures of them next.

New Favourite

I love the early Carter and Co, tin glazed, Blue Stripe pots and this one, that came from eBay 2 weeks ago, is my best yet.  It's just 5 inches tall, potted from white stoneware, and has a particularly thin application of the white slip these pots were dipped in, leaving exposed much of the rough stoneware surface.  There are some thicker globs of slip around the rim, but the over all surface has a parchment quality that adds to the watercolour on paper look of the blue painted lines.  Its signed with the MC mark used by Sissey Collett.

One I Hit

Sorry as I was not to win the vase shown in the previous post, I was chuffed to get this one last month: The pattern code is CE and it's a pared back version of the same pattern.  I bought it from a fellow collector on eBay.
One thing I love about this pattern, is how it exemplifies so well a Poole style that spans time, from the earliest tin glassed vases designed by James Radely Young in the 1910's, through to the contemporary patterns of the 1950's that are still so typical of their age. There's really no difference between pots made over a time of such massive change, that even forced the closure of the factory for 5 years during the second of the two world wars within it.  The pots all have the same colour glazes, the same infilled shapes and wiggly lines: Some of them were painted by the same women.
This pot has on its base the DM initials of a painter that still hasn't been identified, the shape number 353, a white spot that's possibly a trial mark and the first CSA factory stamp.

One I Missed

There have been some lovely old Poole vases on eBay over the past few weeks.  This CF pattern vase went out of my price range before I had a chance to bid, but I pinched a sneaky photo from the listing at least.

The Model C

Willam Morris said that you should "have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."  So I feel safe with this Velos Crown "C" stapling machine on at least one account.  I found the "temporary and permanent fastening device", complete with its yellow box and copper staples, at the Elsecar Antiques fair earlier this year.

Small but Mighty

I won this vase at a recent Auction at Fryer and Browns in Surrey, thanks to an online bid.  It's a good pot, YW pattern, shape 512, painted by Ruth Pavely in the early 1930's.  The only disappointment when it arrived was that at 7 inches tall it's not quite as big as I'd imagined.  I think with pots a few inches does make a lot of difference in terms of scale and impact.But there's a lot crammed in to this pot for its size and i do like this pattern, especially with the top border.

Mystery Solved

This MC mark was used by Matilda, or as she was known back in the day Sissie, Collett.  It was identified at a recent Poole Pottery sale at Cottees Auction House in Wareham.  Sissie's family were there selling a number of pots painted by her and all carrying this MC mark. I have to thank a fellow collector from  Scotland, present at the auction, for sharing this information with me.
Sissie designed  patterns for Poole. as well as painting them.  The Hayward and Atterbury book does not show dates for when Sissie worked,  but does identify some early sprig patterns that she designed in 1921.  The pot I own that caries this MC mark http://robspoolepotterycollection.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/any-excuse also dates to 1921.

EE

I found this EE pattern, shape 210, 12 cm tall vase at Doncaster Racecourse antiques fair a couple of weeks ago.  Painted by Marjorie Batt in the late 1920's or early 30's.

Half Pint

Half the size, but the same shape as Blue Bird jug in the previous post, it was a happy coincidence finding this LT pattern jug on eBay.  Painted by Phyllis Ryall who worked at Poole from 1928 to '37 it was made in the early 1930's.  It has an impressed hexagonal trial mark (as so many pots seem to) and a inscribed shape number 320.
A lot of the Poole shapes come in 3 or 4 graduated sizes and getting the same shape in different sizes (ideally with the same or a related pattern) is a nice, if a little nerdish, way to build a collection.  I have a cream jug with the same overall proportions shape number 326 and there could be one mid-sized between that and this LT jug.

Bluebird Pattern Jug

I found this Bluebird (PB) pattern jug at the Newark Fair last week.  I've managed to photograph it here so that you only get a glimpse of the tail feathers of the bluebird flying off to the left.  Shape number 319, it stands 6 inches tall, and was painted by Vera Bridle sometime between 1924 and 1933.

New Room

I've finally finished decorating and installing the new cabinets in the spare room.  The cabinets all came from eBay in the end, as I couldn't quite find the right thing in Ikea.  

A Delphis Wall of Shape no. 3 and no. 4 round plates

The Trouble with Bowls

Of course I had to bid for this beautiful CN pattern bowl when I saw it on eBay last year.  It was painted by Ethel Barrett in the mid 1920's, with really quite broad loose brush stokes, that belie the overall symmetry.  What's not to love?  Apart from it being a large 10 inch diameter bowl (shape 632) that makes it so hard to find space to display.
The struggle to find space has featured large for me this week.  I've had a few days off work, and have spent most of them decorating the spare room/pottery central and setting up some new display cabinets.  I will still be at it over the bank holiday, but sadly now realise that no matter how much extra shelf space, there will never be quite enough.  And probably not for this lovely bowl.
It least the pots on display are looking well curated, and I hope to share photos on here once done.


 

New Exhibition

This up-coming exhibition of Poole Pottery from the 1960's has been organised by Graham Finch, a fellow collector of Poole Studio and Delphis ware.  Opening on 24th April at the Yingge Ceramics Museum, New Taipei City, Taiwan, I just wish I was a little closer so I could see it.  It's great proof of Poole international following though and I wish you great success Graham.

New Shape...

...Well new to me anyway.  I've wanted a vase in this mini 967 shape number for a long time so was really please to find this one painted in one of my favorite patterns (XP, Sweet Pea)  It was painted by Winifred Collett in the early 1930's.

Cat

Although Poole collecting is very nerdish, I do want to make it clear that (generally) I have a much stronger emotional attachment to people than I do pots. Never-the-less pots do have a bit of a pul, and with pots I do feel emotions, such as interest, curiosity, joy and excitement (especially when I find something new) and maybe greed, avarice, pride.
Last week while clearing some shelves of pottery to make way for a new display case (that will never be big enough), I felt something new: It was oppression.  Standing in the spare room surrounded by Pottery on all four sides (five, if counting the boxed under the spare bed) that perhaps isn't surprising.  Maybe guests stopping over, although they have never said, might have felt the same in the past (perhaps thats why they never return?).
Anyway, the result is ten pots listed on eBay last week, including the cat-like face Delphis bowl above (shape number 57, painted by Anne Godfrey in the last 1960's).

Green Ground

This is another vase I found at Newark before Christmas last year, butI forgot to post it with the others.  It's a good size, about 7 inches tall, shape 336 and made between 1934 and '37.  These tinted pastel grounds were used just for a couple of years and I've not seen many of these before. Sometimes they're a pinky colour too.  I just can't make up my mind whether I like it.

Up market

There are a few different candlesticks in my collection.  Most of them are really quite rustic looking. I found this rather grand looking John Adams candlestick on a shopping trip to the Salt Mill Antiques Centre just before Christmas last year.  I've found a few really nice pots there, and I half want to keep the place secret, but when it comes to pottery I cant keep anything to myself.  The candlestick was designed between 1928 and 1929 and exhibited at the British Industries Fair in 1931. They were made in several different colours and had either one, two, three or five branches.

Comic Bird

I found this vase on eBay recently.  The pattern is QB, and commonly known as Comic Bird.  I often think the bird has a bit of a G W Bush look  and I end up referring to it as Dumb Bird instead.  At 5 inches tall, this is a decent sized vase for this pattern, it's shape number 169 and painted by Doris Marshall in the late 1920's or early '30.  I though I had a real bargain when I bought it, but when it arrived I soon spotted a faint hairline crack running up to the rim.  I've not raised it with the seller though, as I think I still got my monies worth.

Blue Triangles

 There's not much to say about this vase other than it gorgeous.  The pattern code reads GR, though it's not easy to make out.  The shape number is 345 and it was painted by Ethel Barrett in the early 1920's.  The pattern is the same as these earlier Carter and Co vases.

http://robspoolepotterycollection.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/any-excuse.html

http://robspoolepotterycollection.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/blue-stripe-ware.html

Fond Farewell

These two pots were both painted by Doris Marshall who worked at Poole from 1926 to 1936.  On the right is YW pattern, shape no. 199; and on the left RS pattern, shape no. 570.  They were spotted on my website recently by a member of Doris' family and we agreed a sale.  As much as I love Poole Pottery, this was certainly one of the happier sales that I've made, thinking that they have returned back to the family of the woman who painted them all those years ago.

Good Ikea

This vase is a 1950's remake of the classic Chinese Blue glazed pots that John Adams was making in the 1920's and 30's.  Shape number 116, the glaze is much thinner and more uniform, and probably better behaved and consistent than those earlier pots, but the beauty is still in the running of the glaze exposing the red clay at the rim.
Sadly though, this is just one more pot with nowhere to go, as the last inch of space on my various overcrowded shelves and display cases was used up several weeks back.  It would be such a shame to hide any more pots away under the spare bed (even if there was any room there).  There nothing for it but to get some new display cases.
So I'm heading to Ikea tomorrow, for the start of what will be a fairly major project redecorating the spare room.  I'm quite excited at the prospect.  Decanting all the pots from their current home to other rooms around the house, I will take some pleasure from, though my partner may not. And I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the end result, particularly having been inspired by the well displayed collections below.

Happy Birthday Blog

This blog is five year old today.  It's a little frightening to think about all the pots that have passed though my hands over that time. And even more frightening to think about all those that I've kept hold of.
I guess I'm becoming quite a seasoned collector, so it's lovely finding vases like this one with patterns that I've not seen before.  The Pattern is NA, painted by Anne Hatchard, shape number 349 and quite a dark red clay, and grey coloured ground that dates it to between 1922 and 1924.

Hoops

A bit of a change from the usual Poole stripes and quite an unusual pattern, at least it's not one that I've seen before.  This small spill vase, shape number 586, was painted in TS pattern by Marjorie Batt in the second half of the 1920's.

Happy New Year

First post of 2015, and not far off this blogs 5th anniversary. And still the post keep on coming.
This one was also a birthday present from last month, given to me again by my friend who I occasionally go to Newark and other fairs with.  We found this pot together in an antiques center in Salts Mill, Saltaire that always has a good selection of Poole and other classy stuff that my friend also likes.  He's been keeping it safe for the past 6 months of so, so I'd half forgotten what it looked like until I unwrapped it.  Shape number 353, painted in HI pattern, designed by Truda Carter in an unglazed style that was a development on the earlier unglazed wares designed by Jame Radley Young.  It was painted by Majorie Cryer in the late 1920's or very early 30's.