What are your Favourite Collectables?
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Whenever you go to an antiques fair you are sure to see a large collection of Chintz china which seems to be ever popular. The design was originally copied from the colourful floral fabrics which were first imported into Britain in the 17th century. You can make a striking display by grouping a number of pieces of chintz china together on a sideboard or display table.
Royal Crown Derby has been produced since 1748 and is as popular today as it was when the factory produced their first pieces. William Duesbury acquired the factory in 1756 and employed some of the most talented artists of their day. These included the likes of William Billingsley, William Pegg, George Robertson and George Complin among others.
Clarice Cliff was born in 1899 in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent and by the time she was 13 she had started an apprenticeship at a local pottery. When she was 17 she had joined A.J. Wilkinson’s who were a successful Burslem pottery. Her talent was soon spotted and in 1922 she was made an apprentice modeller and started working in the factory’s design studio.
The first Royal Copenhagen figurines were made nearly 120 years ago. Today’s collecting is a mix of old and new – old favourites are still being sold and new themes and subjects are constantly introduced.
Royal Copenhagen was founded in 1775 and the first figurines and animals appeared at the Paris World Fair in 1889. The sculptures were hand-painted and an underglaze technique, developed by Arnold Krog, was used.
Although crested china was once considered to be worthless, there are now several thousand avid collectors in the UK alone – and prices have risen accordingly. The Goss factory in Stoke-on-Trent first produced crested china in the late 1880s, modelling most of their wares on precise historical shapes copied from museums up and down the country.
Seeing the success of the Goss factory many other companies followed suit. They produced a multitude of novelty items up until the 1930s. Some German manufacturers produced souvenirs very cheaply, if somewhat crudely. This led to many outlets to advertise ‘Best English China at Foreign Prices’. Tastes then changed and it is estimated that around 90 per cent of crested china was destroyed – and the remaining 10 per cent relegated to the attic. Crested china started to enjoy a revival during the 1970s, which continues to this day.
Art Deco ceramics have always been much sought after, but as prices for these are now rather steep, enthusiasts are examining other wares. Although unfashionable until a few years ago, ceramics made in the Poole Pottery mad in the Poole factory in Dorset during the 1950s, 60s and 70s are beginning to attract a lot of attention.
These later pieces, just like their Art Deco forerunners, perfectly encapsulate the distinctive styles of the era in which they were made and they are of a very good quality.
Emma Bridgewater pottery is instantly recognizable, with her Polka Dot pattern china being seen in many kitchens. Her Black Toast pattern, hand-drawn lettering on cream earthenware, which was designed by her husband, Matthew Rice, is a design classic and is often copied. Emma first came onto the scene with her spongeware design in the 1980s and they [...]