United Kingdom | C20Ceramics

Nov 1

Midwinter Berkeley

Midwinter Berkeley is a design by Jessie Tait for Midwinter, produced 1969-1974. It is quite a rare design these days. The pattern was produced on the “Fine Shape” Series which Midwinter started in 1962.

The design consists of a band of squares in alternating olive and turquoise, with an alternating centre colour.

The design to me reflects the influence of colour theorist Joseph Albers....who’s work significantly influenced 20th Century Art & Design – including “Op Art” popular in art, design and culture at the time – and especially big in Britain and Germany.

Midwinter Berkeley

Denby Romany

The Denby design “Romany” is from the 1970’s – but I don’t have an exact date.

Apparently this striking glaze came about from an accidental mixing of the wrong proportions in a glaze recipe – and when it was fired and shown to Glynn Colledge he loved the effects of the glaze with its runs and thicker brown areas on top of the “old gold” glaze…so it went into production as a range.

It has that very 1970’s handmade feel about it, and is yet still contemporary – especially with some of the forms such as the bowl in the first image. Some of the pieces of Romany display lovely colour runs in the glaze, and the colour can vary from piece to piece quite a bit as you can see below – but this all adds to the charm of the design I think.

The Romany glaze has a lovely satiny smooth feel to the touch as well. Denby pottery is also all very tough stoneware – so if cared for it will easily last for decades.

Wedgwood Pennine

Wedgwood Pennine was a hugely popular oven-to-tableware dinner service in the 1960s and 1970s.

It has that very English "country rustic" look and feel about it - but unlike much other British dinnerware of the era was very tough and durable, and can still be found quite easily in excellent condition