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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 2008 • 2009 to 2016 • 2017 to 2023 |
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1898 ![]() The registration number 326688 dates the design as 1898. The bell-flowers are not really correct for a botanical variety, and references differ. |
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1904 ![]() Macintyre miniatures designed and painted by William Moorcroft are rare and, often, of greater value than full-size pieces. |
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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. |
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![]() ![]() Covered dish in the same pattern. Auction photo. |
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1984 ![]() 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. |
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![]() This 1948 Spring Flowers vase, and other, but not most, of the Walter Moorcroft Spring Flowers designs included some bluebells. |
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1986 ![]() The unusual circular stamp is the same used on the 1986 Bottle Oven mug made for the first National Garden Festival. |
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1988 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.
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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. |
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1992 ![]() This example has the 1994 'eye' year mark. |
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1995 One of a series of five original limited edition Shakespeare ginger jars made exclusively for B&W Thornton of Stratford-upon-Avon.
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Vereley is an area in
New Forest, Hampshire. ![]() ![]() 1997 Vereley trial paint. Auction photo. |
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7½ inch vase. ![]() The Vereley vase was produced in 7½, 10, 12, and 14 inch sizes. |
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![]() Vereley was included in 'Four Seasons,' a 1997 set of 14 inch prestige vases. |
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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. |
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Ivory Bells (or Cornish Bellflower) is a visually similar variety, and the name of this 2004 6-inch vase by Philip Gibson. |
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This miniature is often called 'Bluebell' and also 'Periwinkle,' or may be Australian Royal Bluebell. |
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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. |
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2000 ![]() |
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![]() ![]() One of a set of six floral Spring Festival egg cups. |
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![]() ![]() One of a set of six floral Parisian Dream egg cups. |
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![]() ![]() This design was also produced as a 7½ inch jug. Auction photo. |
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Combermere Abbey is a former monastery, later a country house, near Burleydam in Cheshire.
![]() Combermere was also produced as 8, 11, and 14 inch vases. |
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8 inch tray. ![]() |
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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.net • www.pauldavies.net • www.sybiltawse.info |
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