Ceramics leading British decorative field

High flyers fell into the usual categories. Lustre ceramics, notably Fairyland lustre, were high on the list of top prices. They were led at £8000 by a pair of 121/2in (32cm) high vases decorated in the Tree Serpent and Torches patterns with a Malfrey pot in the Willow pattern at £3500 and an 81/2in (21cm) high covered vase in the Rainbow pattern at the same price. William de Morgan lustre provided another £3500 for a large run of around 80 Chelsea period tiles while leading the non-lustre wares was an 81/2in (21cm) Moorcroft Claremont vase at £4000 and a 13in (32cm) diameter Minton’s earthernware tazza painted by W.S. Coleman with Leda and the Swan at £3200. But alongside such high flyers, these sales are also interesting for the range of collectable ceramics they offer in a lower price bracket reflecting popular or recently emergent collectors’ markets.

Moving down to the three-figure level Chintz, Troika, Denby’s Danesby ware, Royal Doulton Snowman figures, Poole Studio pottery and Wade all featured in this sale in some quantity. Pictured here is a selection from three of these collectables areas.

Denby

Denby’s Danesby ware has been popular with collectors for some years, but this was its first major appearance in a CSK sale – a sure indication that price levels are rising.
First produced in the inter-war period, Danesby covered both tablewares and ornamental pieces but it was the latter that were on offer at South Kensington, most of it from a single vendor and featuring several pieces by the firm’s influential designer, Donald Gilbert.

Top picture:
1. A pair of elephant bookends in mottled brown glaze, 6in (15cm) high £220.
2. A pair of bookends modelled as angel fish covered in a Regent pastel glaze 63/4in (17cm) high, sold with a pair of pastel blue glazed dolphin ashtrays – £450.
3. A Danesby Orient ware rabbit with a mottled purplish blue glaze 81/4in (21cm) high, sold with five smaller rabbits (one pictured) – £400.
4. A figure of a penguin with restored chip, 91/2in (24cm) high offered with a restored penguin dish (not shown) – £420
5. Two models of Byngo, designed by Donald Gilbert, glazed in buff, the larger – 9in (23cm) high – sold for £300.

Troika

Troika ware has been featuring in CSK’s sales in a small way for several years reflecting the gradual appraisal of this abstract decorated, grainy-textured pottery glazed in muted tones that was produced by a group of Cornish potters in the 1960s. This March 3 sale included around a dozen pieces and the main
examples are shown here (middle picture).

1. A 101/4in (26cm) high lamp base of wheel form decorated in shades of blue and green – £130.
2. A 9in (23cm) high lampbase modelled as a Cornish tin mine glazed in blue, brown and green – £200.
3. A square section flowerpot moulded with geometric relief motifs 6in (15cm) high sold with five other pieces (not shown) for £200.
4. A large lamp base of waisted form 14in (36cm) high glazed in green, brown and buff sold for £300.
5. A mask moulded with an Aztec face glazed in buff and brown on a blue ground, 10in (25cm) high – £750.

Wedgwood

The sale also featured a larger than usual selection of early 20th century examples of Wedgwood hand painted earthenware, many of them decorated by Louise and Alfred Powell. There was some attractive examples with relatively rich decoration of Arts and Crafts inspiration as shown here (bottom picture).

1. A pair of 91/2in (24cm) high candlesticks painted in blue, green and red on a white ground – £650.
2. A covered vase painted with blue and green stylised foliage by Louise Powell painted monogram – 9in (23cm) high – £600.
3. Six octagonal napkin rings in colours with fruit and foliate motifs decorated by Louise Powell with painted monogram – £350.
4. Two covered pots decorated by the Powells. The example pictured left, with hairline cracks and chips by Alfred Powell, that on the right by Louise Powell sold together with another by Louise Powell (not pictured) for £550.
5. A pink and black jug painted by Grace Barnsley, a repaired bowl painted with honeysuckle and a mug, sold together with five other similarly decorated Wedgwood pieces ( not pictured) for £350.