C20Ceramics

Jan 6

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Bowl, Marianne Starck

Michael Andersen Denmark – Marianne Starck & The Persia Glaze

While the award winning and amazing “Persia” glaze at Michael Andersen & Sons was developed in the 1930s by Daniel Andersen (1885-1959) and used on pieces from that date, I think it is the designs of Marianne Starck at MAS & Sons in the 1950s and 1960s where the Persia glaze is seen at its best.

This complex glaze turns out differently on each piece, depending on the glaze colourants used and style of decoration. Sometimes it appears like a pearlescent multi coloured micro-mosaic, and at other times as a more subtle pattern decoration with grey pearlescent hues. Often the pieces using this glaze have beautiful but subtle oxidisation of the glaze, giving some of the colours a slightly metallic appearance – especially noticeable on the red colour of the Viking longboat in the first image below.

The glaze is also surprisingly smooth and silky to the touch. The Persia glaze was used on all types of forms – from utilitarian pieces to sculptural forms.

Below are some of my favourite pieces using the Persia glaze.

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Lamp, Marianne Starck, Photo Ray Garrod

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Dish, Marianne Starck — Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Bowl, Marianne Starck, Photo Ray Garrod

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Mirror Marianne Starck - — Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Mirror Frame, Marianne Starck – Photo via CopenhagenBlack on Etsy

Dec 29

Hjorth Pottery Denmark – Ulla Hjorth

Ulla Hjorth (b. 1945), the daughter of Eric Hjorth (who in turn was great grandson of founder Lauritz Hjorth 1834-1912) started at Hjorth Pottery on Bornholm, Denmark, in 1962 and worked there until its closure in 1992. Along with her sister Marie Hjorth, they were the last operators of the Hjorth Pottery from 1982 until its closure and then development into a museum in 1992-1995.

Ulla’s work is beautifully functional and elegant at the same time. I especially love her lidded forms. The decoration she chooses compliments, and is united with the form, and is not merely “surface decoration”. The decoration often consists of a combination of simple geometric forms with beautifully brushed line-work, on top of a simple stoneware glaze.

Her pottery as far as I am aware is all stoneware, with simple timeless glazes.

When doing a bit of research for this entry I noticed that the Bornholms Musuem has an updated entry on Hjorth Pottery entitled “The Women at Hjorth’s Factory”.

In the section on potter Ulla Hjorth it says:

Ulla was educated at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen in 1969 and is very much into the functional. The factory’s tradition was combined with new impressions from the School of Arts and Crafts. Ulla Hjorth works with stoneware and mainly manufactures utility items in simple, classic shapes and glazes. Her work has been characterized as utility ceramics with qualities beyond the purely practical. “I emphasize that a teapot must be functional and that it is united with the shape” she said.

See previous articles on L Hjorth pottery in the navigation table to the right of the page.

Ulla Hjorth Denmark – Photo Ray Garrod

Ulla Hjorth Denmark – UH signature, along with LHjorth. Photo Ray Garrod

Ulla Hjorth – Photo via BonrholmsMusuem.dk

Ulla Hjorth Denmark – Photo via Pinterest (missing attribution)

Ulla Hjorth Denmark, Photo via Pinterest (missing attribution)

Ulla Hjorth Denmark – Photo via Pinterest (missing attribution)

Nov 27

Hornsea Summit

Recently I came across a very smart early Hornsea design in the form of a lidded butter dish. It is from the Hornsea “Summit” series – designed 1960, produced 1962 -1965. It’s designer of course John Clappison.

The summit series was very popular in its day with its modern tapering forms, fluted over the full height of the item with colour inlays of either apricot, turquoise, charcoal or terracotta on a white ground.

The glaze colour in the ridges was applied by hand on bisque fired pieces with a sponge and then wiped off – resulting in glaze colour being left only inside the ridges. The whole piece was then glazed with a transparent glazed and re-fired to higher temperatures

Pieces in this series will have an impressed stamp on them indicating the form number – this butter dish is 260.

There are 19 forms in the series, consisting of things like cruets, egg cups, sugar bowl, mustard pots, bon bon dishes etc.

One thing that strikes me about these pieces is they are surprisingly fine and delicate for earthenware, which really compliments the fine and beautifully considered design.