Sharing the Joy

 These two Robert Jefferson designed (1964) Bokhara storage jars came from eBay a week or so ago.  At 12 cm tall they are the second smallest of 4 sizes made, and as can be seen in the picture below, I am now only missing the largest to make the set complete in this JC pattern .  That may take a few more years as they really don't appear very often, but until then I am sharing the joy (or splitting the cost) of this latest find by re-listing one of the two new jars back on eBay here

Bokhara Storage Jar JB

I like to think that my quest to collect a complete set of these Robert Jefferson Bokhara jars is slowly nearing it's completion, though in truth finding the last few missing pieces is taking ever longer.  These pots don't come up on eBay that often and when they do they are increasingly one that I already have. This one is shape 659, and at 16.5 cm tall, it's the largest (I think) of the 4 sizes made.

Could Try Harder

Cottees Auctioneers in Wareham held one of their Poole Pottery sales yesterday. I was bidding online and won just one of the dozen or so lots I tried for.  The four spice jars above were the first of my lots to come up, and although I lost these, I now wish I had tried a bit harder to win them.  It's just hard bidding twice the estimate for pots with so much damage to them.  
I have my own set of jars here  http://robspoolepotterycollection.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/early-storage-jars.html and V&A have their lone Pepper and Currents jars, but I had no idea that Peppercorn, Ginger, Mixed Spice and Nutmeg ever existed until I saw these pot  listed in the sale.    So at least, now I know there are more jars out there to complete my collection, and very possibly more than the four shown here.  I just need to keep a look out over the next few decades waiting for them to come my way.

Bokhara JC Pattern Storage Jars

These JC pattern Bokhara storage jars were made in 4 sizes.  I've had the little one for quite a few years and its taken until now to find a second., I think these two are the smallest and second to largest, though neither of the seem to match the dimensions given in factory catalogue.

Smallest of Four Bokhara Storage Jars

I've had this little lidded pot in my collection for quite a while, but never posted a photo on here. This jar is hand-thrown in shape 659 and painted in JC patten.

 

Sea Crest

I now have three of these storage jars designed by Guy Sydenham and Tony Morris between 1967 and '68. The Green glaze is Sea Crest: The other Blue Lace.  The larger Blue Lace jar has a really nice defined pattern of deep blue and frothy white with the whole jar becoming more frothy towards the top.  My latest addition on the right has the same blue glaze but it looks like it hasn't fired quite so well and has a more uniform mottling. 

This is the first of three Guy Sydenham related finds I've made this week, so more to follow later.

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!

Bokhara Butter Box Bingo

My latest Bokhara jar, shape number 658, OHB pattern painted by Gwen Haskins has taken it's place alongside my other pots from this range.  With 2 lines so far, it will be a long game before I get a full house - See what I mean here

Blue Lace Glaze Storage Jar

Here's one storage jar from a range of kitchen and tableware designed by Guy Sydenham and Tony Morris in 1967.  Initially coloured in one of two reactive glazes, this one "Blue Lace" and a mottled green called "Sea Crest", this shape and others was also treated to "Traditional " painted patterns.

More Robert Jefferson Spice Jars.

I'd heard that the Green Diamond spice jars had also been made in red, but I didn't expect them to look like these.  They must pre-date the Green Diamond jars, as both pots pictured here are hand thrown.  They are also hand painted with the spice name scratched through the red band.  Although the lettering is in the same style, or  hand even, as the scene printed versions.  They also have the same 1959-67 back stamp that the other jars have.

Robert Jefferson Stroage Jars

A few years ago I was set on the goal of assembling a complete set of the Green Diamond Storage Jars that Robert Jefferson designed at Poole Pottery in 1963.   I knew there were just six small jars and 4 larger ones, and it didn't turn out to be such a tall order.  After a couple of months of looking on eBay I was able to proudly display the result on my website.  My contentment was short lived however, as a few months later a 7th jar "Bay" appeared in a matt blue glaze.  So the collecting never quite ends, and now here's "Curry", complete with authentic smelly cork stopper. One day, they will all be mine!

Early Poole Storage Jars

I've wanted one of these pots of ages, then like London buses they all arrive at once.

This happened today while I was at the Lincoln Antiques Fair.  I've never bought so many damaged and dirty pots before.  They have washed up quite nicely, but on the stall they didn't so much look like they'd been in the garden shed for 50 years, more like buried underneath it.  All the lids have some damage - one or two quite obvious.  And the coffee pot is so cracked its just about falling to pieces.  But i didn't know which one to buy, mainly because I've only ever seen one for sale before,  so got them all.  

The big ones (with finials 19 cm tall ) Tea, Coffee, Rice, Tapioca, Raisins,  Sultanas and Salt: The small one (11.5 cm) is Pepper.  There are others and based on the selection here I should think Currants is a likely one, and as I write this have just seen in Jennifer Hawkins book a photo of 2 jars, Currants and Pepper, both those attributed to Margaret Holder c1927 and housed in the V&A. 

They are made by a novel method for Poole, the writing is incised, removing the blue glaze/slip to reveal the white body of the pot, a bit like the stripes on T&G Green Cornishware. The white body must have been used specifically at this early date just for these jars.

I think they would have been designed by John Adams.