bluebell pottery designs     

 
A selection of bluebell designs for pottery made by Moorcroft in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, between 1898 and 2023.
This gallery includes work by William Moorcroft, Walter Moorcroft, Sally Tuffin, Rachel Bishop, Emma Bossons FRSA, Kerry Goodwin, Paul Hilditch, Vicky Lovatt, Nicola Slaney, Sian Leeper, Philip Gibson, Anita Harris, Shirley Hayes, and Elizabeth Todd. And many highly-skilled modelers, molders, casters, turners, spongers, tracers, tube-liners, painters, glazers, and firers.
My interest is how this work illustrates the varied treatments of the same subject that can be made by the same and different artists in the same media over many years' time.

Page 1: 1898 to 2008

1898 to 20082009 to 20162017 to 2023


 
William Moorcroft title

1898
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William Moorcroft
BUTTERFLIES AND SPRING FLOWERS


6½ inch Florian Ware loving cup for James Macintyre & Co.


Moorcroft Florian Ware Butterflies Loving Cup


The registration number 326688 dates the design as 1898. The bell-flowers are not really correct for a botanical variety, and references differ.
Moorcroft Florian Ware Butterflies Loving Cup

Moorcroft Florian Ware Butterflies Loving Cup

1904
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William Moorcroft
BLUEBELLS


3¼ inch miniature vase for James Macintyre & Co.


Mcintyre bluebell


Macintyre miniatures designed and painted by William Moorcroft are rare and, often, of greater value than full-size pieces.

Mcintyre miniature bluebell vase by William Moorcroft
Two related examples of Moorcroft bluebell pottery for Macintyre, on the left for Liberty from 1908 in the Paul Atterbury book; on the right from the archive at Andrew Muir.
Mcintyre miniature bluebell vase by William Moorcroft
Mcintyre miniature bluebell vase by William Moorcroft


1904
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William Moorcroft
MACINTYRE BLUEBELL PLATE for Liberty & Co.


10 inch plate.


Mcintyre bluebell plate for Liberty by William Moorcroft






Mcintyre bluebell covered dish for Liberty by William Moorcroft
Covered dish in the same pattern. Auction photo.


Mcintyre bluebell plate for Liberty by William Moorcroft

Mcintyre bluebell plate for Liberty by William Moorcroft
 


Walter Moorcroft title

1984
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Walter Moorcroft
BUTTERFLIES
AND BLUEBELL


7½ inch vase.

Moorcroft Butterflies and Bluebell vase by Walter Moorcroft


This vase, along with a companion 'Butterfly and Brambles,' were produced in small quantities signed by Walter Moorcroft.
This is the only Walter Moorcroft design featuring bluebells noted in Atterbury.
Moorcroft Butterflies and Bluebell vase by Walter Moorcroft

Moorcroft Butterflies and Bluebell vase by Walter Moorcroft

Moorcroft Butterflies and Bluebell vase by Walter Moorcroft

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This 1948 Spring Flowers vase, and other, but not most, of the Walter Moorcroft Spring Flowers designs included some bluebells.

Moorcroft Spring Flowers vase by Walter Moorcroft

Moorcroft Spring Flowers vase by Walter Moorcroft

1986
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Walter Moorcroft
BLUEBELL MUG


Moorcroft bluebell mug by Walter Moorcroft

The unusual circular stamp is the same used on the 1986 Bottle Oven mug made for the first National Garden Festival.
Moorcroft bluebell mug by Walter Moorcroft

Moorcroft bluebell mug by Walter Moorcroft
 


Moorcroft Sally Tuffin title

1988
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Sally Tuffin
BLUEBELL
SAKE CUP


From a set of six Sake cups made for ATO Galleries in Tokyo, sold in presentation cases holding your choice or two, three, or all six cups.


Moorcroft sake cup by Sally Tuffin
Moorcroft sake cup by Sally Tuffin

Moorcroft sake cups by Sally Tuffin

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The Sally Tuffin 1990 Buttercup design was produced as plates, vases, mugs, pitchers, and lamps in various sizes.

Only the 12 inch prestige vase had a few bluebells added at the bottom.

Moorcroft Buttercup vase by Sally Tuffin

Moorcroft Buttercup vase by Sally Tuffin

1992
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Sally Tuffin
BLUEBELL MUG


Moorcroft bluebell mug by Sally Tuffin

This example has the 1994 'eye' year mark.
Moorcroft bluebell mug by Sally Tuffin

Moorcroft bluebell mug by Sally Tuffin
 


Rachel Bishop title

1995
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Rachel Bishop
CYMBELINE


6 inch ginger jar.

One of a series of five original limited edition Shakespeare ginger jars made exclusively for B&W Thornton of Stratford-upon-Avon.


Moorcroft Cymbeline ginger jar by Rachel Bishop
Moorcroft Cymbeline ginger jar by Rachel Bishop

Moorcroft Cymbeline ginger jar by Rachel Bishop


1997
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Rachel Bishop
VERELEY


12 inch vase.

Vereley is an area in
New Forest, Hampshire.


Moorcroft Verely vase by Rachel Bishop






Moorcroft Verely trial vase by Rachel Bishop
1997 Vereley trial paint. Auction photo.

Moorcroft Verely vase by Rachel Bishop

Moorcroft Verely vase by Rachel Bishop

7½ inch vase.


Moorcroft Verely vase by Rachel Bishop

The Vereley vase was produced in 7½, 10, 12, and 14 inch sizes.
Moorcroft Verely vase by Rachel Bishop
Moorcroft Verely vase by Rachel Bishop
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Vereley was included in 'Four Seasons,' a 1997 set of 14 inch prestige vases.
Moorcroft FourSeasons vases
 


Moorcroft Design Studio title

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A few notes here —

The flower painted is generally clear to see, or known by the item name or designer brief. For pottery in this collection, for a few designs, some galleries and auctioneers might say bluebell and others Scottish bluebell or harebell.

Several floral designs that include bluebells or possibly harebells have been produced which, although excellent, aren't proper bluebell designs.

I show ten examples:


• Golden Lily (1993) by Rachel Bishop
• Rain Daisy (2005 MCC) by Rachel Bishop
• Moorcroft Centenary plate (2007) by Rachel Bishop
• Sorrow and Laughter (2016) by Nicola Slaney
• Shakespeare's Flowers (2015) by Kerry Goodwin
• Butterfly Ballet (2018 trial)
• Meadow White (2020) by Rachel Bishop
• Rose End Meadows by Emma Bossons (2020)
• Glenfinnan Viaduct by Vicki Lovatt (2020)
• Four Seasons (Spring Panel) by Paul Hilditch (2020).

A few that I did select to feature on these pages you might still consider marginal on this basis.
Moorcroft Golden Lily vase by Rachel Bishop
Moorcroft Rain Daisy vase by Rachel Bishop
Moorcroft 2007 Centenary Plate by Rachel Bishop
Moorcroft Sorrow and Laughter vase by Nicola Slaney
Moorcroft Shakespeares Flowers vase by Kerry Goodwin
Moorcroft Butterfly Ballet trial
Moorcroft Meadow White vase by Rachel Bishop
Moorcroft Rose End Meadows vase by Emma Bossons
Moorcroft Glenfinnan Viaduct by Vicki Lovatt
Moorcroft Four Seasons by Paul Hilditch

Ivory Bells (or Cornish Bellflower) is a visually similar variety, and the name of this 2004 6-inch vase by Philip Gibson.
Moorcroft Ivory Bells vase by Philip Gibson
Moorcroft Ivory Bells vase by Philip Gibson

This miniature is often called 'Bluebell' and also 'Periwinkle,' or may be Australian Royal Bluebell.
Moorcroft Periwinkle Bluebell vase
Moorcroft Periwinkle Bluebell vase

The flowers on Spring Bells in the Sir Harold Hiller Gardens Collection by Emma Bossons are, I think, Canterbury Bells, a campanula.

On the right,
Bees and Flowers by Nicola Slaney includes deep indigo coloured bell flowers, edition of 150 in 2013.
Moorcroft Spring Bells by Emma Bossons
Moorcroft Bees and Flowers vase by Nicola Slaney


2000
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Emma Bossons
FUSCHIA AND BLUEBELL
2001 Year Plate


8½ inch plate.
One of 750 numbered.



Moorcroft 2001 Year Plate by Emma Bossons

Moorcroft 2001 Year Plate by Emma Bossons

2000
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Emma Bossons
BLUEBELLS


6 inch vase.
One of 300 numbered and signed.



Moorcroft Bluebell vase by Emma Bossons

Moorcroft Bluebell vase by Emma Bossons



2001
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Shirley Hayes
SPRING FESTIVAL BLUEBELLS


3½ inch egg cup.


Moorcroft Bees at Breakfast egg cup by Shirley Hayes

Moorcroft Bees at Breakfast egg cups by Shirley Hayes
One of a set of six floral Spring Festival egg cups.


Moorcroft Bees at Breakfast egg cup by Shirley Hayes


2004
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Sian Leeper
PARISIAN DREAM BLUEBELLS


3½ inch egg cup.


Moorcroft Parisian Dream egg cup by Sian Leeper

Moorcroft Parisian Dream egg cups by Sian Leeper
One of a set of six floral Parisian Dream egg cups.

Moorcroft Parisian Dream egg cup by Sian Leeper


2005
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Emma Bossons
WILD MEADOW


4 inch pin dish.


Moorcroft Bluebell floral dish by Amanda Baggley




Moorcroft Wild Meadow jug by Emma Bossons
This design was also produced as a 7½ inch jug. Auction photo.

Moorcroft Bluebell floral dish by Amanda Baggley

2006
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Rachel Bishop
BLUEBELLS

• Trial


4 inch planter.



Moorcroft Bluebell trial planter by Rachel Bishop

Moorcroft Bluebell trial planter by Rachel Bishop


2006
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Rachel Bishop
COMBERMERE


6 inch vase.

Combermere Abbey is a former monastery, later a country house, near Burleydam in Cheshire.


Moorcroft Combermere vase by Rachel Bishop


Combermere was also produced as 8, 11, and 14 inch vases.

Moorcroft Combermere vase by Rachel Bishop

8 inch tray.
Signed.


Moorcroft Combermere tray by Rachel Bishop
Moorcroft Combermere tray by Rachel Bishop

2008
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Nicola Slaney
DAFFODILS AND BLUEBELLS


6 inch vase.
One of 100 numbered and signed.


Moorcroft Daffodils and Bluebells by Nicola Slaney

Moorcroft Daffodils and Bluebells by Nicola Slaney

 
This gallery was created for recreational interest only.
I have very little experience with photography, taking these photos with a Samsung S-10+ phone camera using a white nylon sheet for a background. Brightness is low in favour of reduced glare and accurate colour.
Contact at paul@pauldavies.netwww.pauldavies.netwww.sybiltawse.info
 

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