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Clarice Cliff

November 21, 2009

Bizarre Ware dish – Clarice Cliff

Clarice Cliff

Clarice Cliff was recognized as one of the major Art Deco ceramics designer of the Twentieth Century and possibly the most prolific. Born in 1899, Clarice Cliff started working at the age of 13 as an apprentice enameler. In 1916 she joined A. J. Wilkinson’s Royal Staffordshire Pottery as a lithographer and eventually went on to develop a small studio in Wilkinson’s Newport Pottery, decorating traditional white-ware. Cliff was ambitious and acquired skills in modelling figurines and vases, gilding, keeping pattern books and hand painting ware: outlining, enameling, filling in colours within the outline) and banding (the radial bands on plates or vessels ). Her first original style she named ” Bizzare” and was immediately popular.

By 1929, Cliff’s team of decorators had grown to a team of around 70 young painters, mainly women (called her ‘Bizarre girls’) but also four boys – who hand painted the ware under her direction. Many of these workers were traced in the 1980s and 1990s and they totalled over 100. The Fantasque range evolved between 1928 and 1934 and mainly featured abstracts or landscapes of cottages and trees, and some Art Deco inspired patterns.

Clarice Cliff’s fame and success in the 1930s are hard to fully appreciate now, but at that time there was no such thing as ‘career women’. The publicity she received in the national press was unprecedented. Cliffs wares were exported all over the world and can still turn up in Op shops, garage sales and Bric a Brac shops.

Claire Cliff tea set - cream and pale blue colour - teapot, creamer, sugar bowl, teacups

Art Deco tea set – Clarice Cliff

Meiping Vase – Clarice Cliff

Bizarre Ware Coral Firs vase Art Deco by Clarice Cliff

Coral Firs vase _ Clarice Cliff

circa 1933

Jazz Age teapot – Clarice Cliff

1930’s

Clarice Cliff jug

‘Honolulu’ Vase – Clarice Cliff

circa 1933

Conical Bowl – Clarice Cliff

Art Deco baluster vase and teapot – Clarice Cliff

Sunburst Lotus Jug by Clarice Cliff

Clarice-Cliff----18-inch-tall-mei-ping-vase

Art Deco baluster vase – Clarice Cliff

Windbells Cup & Saucer

Clarice Cliff Vase – Sunray

ca. 1929 Burslem UK

V & A Museum

‘Picasso Flower’ vase – Clarice Cliff

Wedgwood – The Bizarre Living Landscapes of Clarice Cliff ‘Fantasque Mountain’ plate

Teacup and saucer – Clarice Cliff

Original Bizarre Clarice Cliff shape 353 vase of footed bell 1928

Wedgewood Clarice Cliff plate – ‘Windbells’

Moorland Art Deco ” Huntley Cottage ” Sugar Pot – design by Clarice Cliff

Clarice Cliff ” My Garden ” footed vase

Clarice Cliff Moorland Limited Edition Sugar Sifter

Large Conical Bowl Clarice Cliff

Clarice Cliff Bizarre Orange Capri Shape Sleeve Vase

Baluster vase Art Deco style -CLARICE-CLIFF1930

Clarice Cliff Art Deco vase

1933

LIMITED-EDITION-FIGURE-OF-''YOUNG-CLARICE-CLIFF-renaissance

‘Young Clarice Cliff’ figurine

Clarice-Cliff-vase

Clarice Cliff vase

Clarice-Cliff-'Orange-Autumn'-Bonjour-Preserve-Pot

‘Orange Autumn’ Bonjour Preserve Pot – Clarice Cliff

Clarice-Cliff-English-pottery Egyptian Revival vase

Clarice Cliff

Clarice-Cliff-Bizarre-Picasso-Flower-pattern-Odilon-jug-Bamfords-Auctions

Bizarre ware ‘Picasso Flower’ pattern Odilon jug – Clarice Cliff

BanfordsAuctions.co.uk

Clarice-Cliff-'Applique-Blossom'-464-shaped-vase-dating-to-1931

‘Applique Blossom’ 464 shaped vase – Clarice Cliff

1931

Clarice-Cliff-(1899-1972)---'Bizarre'-Archaic-Vase

‘Bizarre Ware’ Archaic Vase – Clarice Cliff

A-Clarice-Cliff-Fantasque-Sunrise-pattern-three-piece-condiment-set-Banfords-Auctions-co-uk

Fantasque Sunrise pattern three piece condiment set — Clarice Cliff

Banfords Auctions.co.uk

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Shawnee collectibles

October 16, 2009

Tips for collecting Shawnee wares : Shawnee Pottery, a company in Zanesville, Ohio, started producng wares in 1937. They created kitchenware such as teapots, cookie jars, salt n pepper shakers, baking dishes and a wide range of decorative art pieces. Some of their rare cookie jars can fetch up to $1000. Terrace Ceramics bought the company in 1961 when they went out of business. As they used the same moulds , the products looked the same but had the Terrace Ceramics markings. The quality was different and they aren’t as valuable for collecting.

In the 1990’s another Shawnee company emerged known as The New Shawnee Pottery Company , and they created a new line of cookie jars. From a collecting perspective don’t confuse these with the original Shawnee’s.

Everything from Shawnee is collectible, especially their cookie jars. The Smiley Pig, Muggsy Dog, Dutch Jack n Jill, Extremely Lucky Elephant and Sailor Boy are all desirable items.

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The first Shawnee corn line was know as White Corn , cleverly designed dinnerware pieces based on corn shapes. This series is the most favoured by collecters, the later yellow corn lines are not as popular.

There are numerous look- alike Shawnee wares on the market, and are collectible but the genuine Shawnee is usually of superior quality and will appreciate in value much faster.

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Tall Shawnee Fluted Ruffled Vase

Shawnee Vintage Hawaiian girl planter vase.

Vintage Turquoise Shawnee Pottery Shell Planter Vase

( Vintagegoodness )

Shawnee Sable Elegance Vase

Shawnee white speckled vintage vase

Shawnee Flower Pots

Vintage Shawnee Owl Salt & Pepper Shakers

Shawnee Dolphin Pitcher

Vintage Shawnee Black Kenwood Pitcher

Shawnee Parrot Mug

Blue Cocker Spaniel Dog Planter

Shawnee Pottery teal glaze Impala Gazelle figurine

Vintage Green Feather Bowl Shawnee

Vintage Green Feather Bowl/Planter – Shawnee

Shawnee King Corn Large Covered.cassarole

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Ceramika Polish Pottery Stoneware

May 14, 2009

While all the ceramic factories in the Boleslawiec area of Poland produce beautiful pieces, the master ceramic artists employed by Ceramika Artystyczna produce exquisite designs and extraordinarily high quality pottery especially the “Unikat” or “Signature” pieces, which are signed by the individual artists and usually limited edition. Ceramika Artystyczna has won numerous awards for artistic design and quality. This particular pottery is made of whiter, denser clay and incorporates more intricate designs and shapes. Polish pottery from Ceramika Artystyczna is high-fired at temperatures exceeding 2450° Fahrenheit, resulting in an ultra-smooth hard glaze The quality of Ceramika Artystyczna’s glazing is unsurpassed.

470s-u3-2482

Ceramika Bowl

This piece was handmade by the Zaklady company in Boleslawiec, Poland.

This hand decorated coffee mug is from the factory of Ceramika Artystyczna. It is signed by the artist K. Deptuka.

Polish pottery Boleslawiec

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Ceramics and pottery kilns

April 18, 2009

Purchasing a pottery kiln is no inexpensive undertaking. It is the largest investment a potter has to make. But which type of kiln should you buy. In this article, I will take a closer look at different types of kilns available and a history of how pottery kilns were used in the making of handmade pottery and other ceramic pieces.

Primitive kilns were no more than the simple hearths used for cooking, based on warmth, light, and protection. In fact, pit kilns being easy to create are still incorporated in hand made pottery and ceramics. Clay has been used since prehistory for decoration and function but it is unknown how the actual firing process was discovered. It is thought that the first fired pots originated nearly 10,000 years ago, when agriculture began. These early farmers needed containers and fired clay to produce storage and cooking objects which served these needs well. The earliest kilns were pits dug into the ground and the pottery loosely stacked on top of each other. Flammable materials were placed around the pottery and the fire was allowed to burn down. After cooling, the pots were cleaned of the ash and residue and were then used.

Another early form of pottery kiln, the beehive kiln, was the first kiln constructed that looks like what we consider a kiln. The pots are stacked in an arched chamber retaining greater heat than the pit kiln and making the pottery more durable. An alternate type of the beehive concept was built in China around 500 A.D., and called the stepped kiln. This kiln used the simple form of the beehive, but had multiple chambers in a terraced pattern so that the kiln capacity could be increased. This worked well in villages where pottery making was a primary activity, and where a large volume of pottery was needed.

A well known kiln that is used today is the natural gas kiln. Rather than using the flammable materials of the pit and step kilns, natural gas is used for the fuel. There are both updraft and downdraft natural gas kilns available. The advantages of natural gas as a fuel is that it produces very low levels of pollution, and that the fuel is relatively inexpensive. In some areas propane is more commonly used as a fuel; however care must be taken as propane is heavier than air and if the flame should get extinguished, the gas can settle and produce a potential for explosion. Natural gas will disperse on its own since it is lighter than air.

Kiln Selection :

Since all manufacturers use the same bricks and the same element wire for all but certain specialized kilns, there are not significant differences in price or performance from one brand to another. In addition, since the bricks are available in one 9″ x 4 1/2″, kiln sizes and particularly the popular top-loading electric kilns, are standardized.

Gas or electric :

The first decision to be made in the process is whether you want–or specifically need– gas or electric. Gas means either propane, butane or natural gas, the only difference in the kilns themselves being the size of the inexpensive orifice on each burner. Generally, firing costs for similarly sized kilns are not significantly different for gas or electric. In fact gas is often more expensive because kilns do not burn the fuel efficiently and because a great deal of heat is lost through venting. The advantage of a gas kiln is that “reduction” firing is possible. However, there are many significant disadvantages, especially for the relative novice. Obvious examples are that bisque firing is best done in the relatively clean atmosphere of an electric kiln, gas kilns require significant venting, and as they are generally placed outdoors, they require much more attention and care to properly fire.

When larger kilns are contemplated (l5 or 20 cubic feet or more), gas is the choice because it is often easier and less expensive to install a gas service than the electrical lines necessary for such large kilns.

If a pottery or ceramic artist chooses to glaze fire in an oxidizing atmosphere, an electric kiln can also be an excellent choice for glaze firing.

If reduction firing or salt soda glazing is desired, then a gas, oil or wood fired kiln is the tool of choice, because it would ruin the electric kiln.

Top vs. Front loading :

The second basic decision concerns top loading versus front loading configurations. Although front loading kilns are more desirable from the ease of loading standpoint, they are generally much more expensive. Usually, front loading kilns are built with 4 1/2 inch thick walls and top loading kilns with the bricks set on edge so the walls are only 2 1/2 inches thick. This reduces the number of bricks significantly and since the bricks themselves are the main cost of the kiln, it keeps the price down.

Round vs. square :

On a per cubic foot basis, the “round” (and the similarly designed “oval”) kilns are less expensive than the square kilns because they are easier to build and use fewer bricks (refer to “Top vs. Front Loading” above and “Kiln Sizes” below). Depending on the size and shape of the ware to be fired, a square configuration may load more effectively but that must be balanced against the initial kiln cost difference.

The only new kiln technology is the electric kiln. Unlike other methods which utilize a fuel for operation, electric kilns run by coiled wires that bring about heat. A toaster operates on the same principle. A lot of the modern electric pottery kilns are equipped with electronic shut off devices, called kiln sitters, to monitor the firing process. Still, any kiln must never be left unattended.

So there you have it, a brief history of the kiln and the different concepts behind it and its construction.

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Gallery of Japanese Potters

March 7, 2009

The role that pottery has played in development of the Japanese aesthetic and culture has been substantial. Japanese pottery has evolved over the centuries into a high art form. Since the Kamakura period (1183-1333), wood-fired pottery from the six oldest historic Japanese pottery centers (Bizen, Echizen, Tanba, Seto, Shigaraki and Tokoname) helped to cultivate a unique artistic appreciation that represented subtle understated beauty. Zen monks were among the first to extol the virtue and beauty of simple austerity. Today, the Japanese ceramists in various pottery centers continue their heritage, producing timeless works of art using traditional materials and techniques refined through centuries of experience.

Ichino Masahiko :