C20Ceramics

Oct 26

Denby Cotswold

I havent posted a new article to this site in ages, although I have been maintaining and updating posts in the background with new information as I come across it.

This new post I couldn’t resist though – It has always been one of my favourite Denby designs, but until recently hadn’t actually had a piece in real life.

The design is Cotswold and was part of a series designed by Glyn Colledge in 1973 and in production until 1982. The series was “The Country Fayre Collection” and consisted of Sable, Chiltern And Costwold.

Cotswold holloware has the most wonderful hand textured dark brown exterior (which Ive seen described as either “bark” or “avocado skin”) combined with a subtly iron speckled satin gloss warm brown glaze. Inside the hollow ware pieces is a contrasting satin white glaze. The flatware has a freely hand-painted floral spray in light browns and ochres on the satin white glaze.

The pieces such as the cups, jugs etc would have been hand thrown and decorated and the flat pieces jiggered or jollied as was the Denby production process for dinnerware in this era.

As with all Denby from this era, it is stoneware, tough as nails, lasts for decades, and from a time when Denby Pottery (and most other pottery production) was led by good design, and skilled designers.

Denby Cotswold Jug – Design by Glyn Colledge 1973

Denby Cotswold 1970s — Denby Cotswold 1973, Glyn Colledge Designer

Denby Cotswold Trio- Design by Glyn Colledge 1973

NOTE: there is also an earlier and different Denby “Cotswold” designed by Kenneth Clark in 1956 using the shapes of the Gourmet range, with a satin white glaze and bold sgraffito decoration to the underlying clay body. It seems incredibly rare now and I have yet to spot a piece in real life.

Denby Cotswold Vesion 1, Designed by Kenneth Clark 1956 – Image via eBay

Jun 12

Arabia Finland Annual Kalevala Plates 1976-1999

Arabia Finland Annual Kalevala Plates by Raija Uosikkinen. This iconic series which was produced at Arabia Finland between 1976 to 1999.

Recently I was lucky enough to pick up 6 of these plates, some still in original box and packaging – they are now listed in my Etsy store HERE

Each of the plates is decorated in the same colours each year, with an enchanting illustration designed by Raija, each year based on a different excerpt of the Kalevala. On the back of each plate is the excerpt of text and where in the story being illustrated it is from.

e.g. 1993 – “Marjatta The Hapless Maiden” – “Sought her infant in the marshes, in the swamps her son discovered, and she brought him home in triumph, then the son of our Marjatta, grew into a youth most beauteous”

1993 Arabia Finland “Kalevala” Annual Plate

The 1993 annual wall plate is the most sought after of the 24 in the series ….Possibly because the plates in 1992, 1993, 1994 were made to order due to the global recession.

Wikipedia has a fascinating and detailed story about this epic work well worth reading, here are 2 excerpts from their entry.

” The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology. It is regarded as the national epic of Karelia and Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. The Kalevala was instrumental in the development of the Finnish national identity, the intensification of Finland’s language strife and the growing sense of nationality that ultimately led to Finland’s independence from Russia in 1917. The first version of The Kalevala (called The Old Kalevala) was published in 1835. The version most commonly known today was first published in 1849 and consists of 22,795 verses, divided into fifty folk stories.”

“The Kalevala begins with the traditional Finnish creation myth, leading into stories of the creation of the earth, plants, creatures, and the sky. Creation, healing, combat and internal story telling are often accomplished by the character(s) involved singing of their exploits or desires. Many parts of the stories involve a character hunting or requesting lyrics (spells) to acquire some skill, such as boatbuilding or the mastery of iron making. As well as magical spell casting and singing, there are many stories of lust, romance, kidnapping and seduction. The protagonists of the stories often have to accomplish feats that are unreasonable or impossible which they often fail to achieve, leading to tragedy and humiliation”

1999 Arabia Finland “Kalevala” Annual Plate

1995 Arabia Finland “Kalevala” Annual Plate

1994 Arabia Finland “Kalevala” Annual Plate

May 26

Thomas Germany Eclipse Design

Subscribers might be surprised to see a new post appear on the site !. While I am no longer adding new articles on design, designers, makers and potters to the site I am going to start regularly adding shop updates to this site which will interest many readers.

Where I have information on the site about the design or maker I am selling, I will link to the entry so you can read more about it.

The updates are for my Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/C20Ceramics .

So here is the first. Recently I came across a large amount of the georgous Thomas Germany “Eclipse” Design I have previously written about HERE

Some of the items sold almost instantly – like the teapot, coffee pot and some of the dishes – but I still have quite a bit of it in stock for those interested in this very smart, and very popular design.

You can see all the items of Eclipse still in stock from this link – or click on link below the photos if not marked sold.

Contact me via messaging on Etsy if you have any queries about the items for sale.

(PS I sell to Australia, USA, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand but not Europe & UK except for very special or rare pieces because the postage costs , duties and taxes and related costs to the buyer are prohibitive.)