United Kingdom | C20Ceramics

Feb 5

Biltons Staffordshire

Quite often I come across some very smart decorative patterns on Staffordshire pottery marked “Biltons”, with designs from the 1950s to 1970s.

There doesn’t seem to be much written about this maker, except for the timeline below which comes from ThePotteries.Org . They produced mainly inexpensive dinnerware for the domestic mass-market…and their peak seemed to be in the 1960s when they introduced mass production decoration techniques such as rubber stamped pattern making, and multi colour machine printing.

As happened frequently with many of the Staffordshire potteries, Biltons changed ownership often before being unable to continue into the 21st Century due to both changing markets and financial pressures.

Susie Cooper for Wedgwood

Oct 20

Royal Doulton, Atlantis 1973

Royal Doulton released some great dinnerware patterns in the 1970s, and this is one of them.

It is “Atlantis”, which had quite a short production period from 1973-1978. To date I haven’t been able to identify its designer – who appears to have designed some of the other designs at Doulton during this period.

It is sometimes referred to by its pattern number “TC 1098”.

“TC” stands for translucent china – and is the first part of the stamp found on dinnerware from 1960 on. It is a translucent white porcelain manufactured without the use of bone ash, and could be manufactured at a much lower cost than that of bone china.

The decorative pattern on Atlantis, with its flourishes and curves reminds me a bit of French Art Nouveau designs by Alphonse Mucha and the like.

The design was complimented with the teapot/coffee pot and other lidded vessels like the casserole dish having a very dark navy blue lid.

I like the shape of the bowls as well with their square line design which is complimented by the addition of a nicely shaped foot detail.