| ERIC KNOWLES - ANTIQUARIAN | |||||||
Moorcroft
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Moorcroft pottery has remained
a firm favourite with collectors
ever since William Moorcroft
set up on his own in 1913. His career
began back in 1897, when he took up the
position of designer at James Macintyre's
pottery in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. His
new celebrated 'Florian Ware', a range of
art nouveau-inspired pottery, proved to be
an immediate success when shown at
Liberty of London's Regent Street store.
The reason why the range fared so well
was very much down to William's
undisputed talent for creating energetic
flower and leaf designs, and then
marrying them to equally inventive and
exciting shapes. The ware relied upon the
use of tube-lined slip decoration to
establish outlines prior to being painted.
This was achieved by piping the slip
(liquid china clay) on to the surface using
the same technique and similar tools used
to ice a cake. The collectors of today
recognise young William's efforts as
'premier league' material and are more
than prepared to dig deep into their
pockets to prove the point. As with
most things, the rarer the subject
the more value, as borne out by
the sale of a 'Yacht' vase at
Bonhams late last year for
£11,500 plus 15% buyer's
premium, complete with a
crack and a small chip.
Although recognised by some
as an autocrat, William
nevertheless was the driving
force behind the success of his
pottery and occupied the
driving seat until his death in
1945 at the age of 83. During the
interim years he proved himself to
be not only a gifted designer but
also a competent potter, an able
chemist and an astute businessman.
The reward for his labours was further
enhanced when, in 1928, he received the
Royal Warrant, and from then until 1936
was able to mark his pots 'Potter to
HM the Queen'. The relevant
monarch was the indomitable
Queen Mary, whose liking for
antiques and objéts d'art remains
legendary, as does her unfailing
habit of asking for any object that
might take her fancy. Her Majesty
would appear to have maintained a
habit of forgetfulness when it came to
actually paying, much to William's
consternation and irritation, but this was
grudgingly accepted as the price of fame.
After William's death, the reins of
power passed in to the hands of his eldest
son, Walter. Moorcroft junior had found
employment in the family firm prior to
his departure for military service at the
onset of World War II, and had shown
himself to be an able and talented
designer in his own right. Walter's
strengths when using bold
design and colour are best
typified by his wares that feature
exotic flowers such as a hibiscus
and Bermuda lilies. His efforts were
well received by the company's loyal
following over the three decades
that were to follow.
My personal favourite
'Walter' design is his 'After
the Storm' vase, issued
long after Walter had
retired, to commemorate
the firm's centenary in
1997. Sadly, Walter died in
September 2002, but his
lasting epitaph are the pots
that, together with those of
his father, adorn the shelves
and china cabinets of the
Moorcroft faithful.
By the mid 1980s the fortunes
of the company had suffered a
downturn and the policy of the
Roper brothers, who had taken
control of the company in the
1970s, was unable
to stem the trade of decline
aggravated by the ongoing
economic recession. In the 11th
hour, the tide began to turn as a
result of two Moorcroft devotees
pooling their resources and making
an offer for the proud company,
which had been reduced to only
16 employees. The white
knights concerned were
Hugh Edwards, a respected
city lawyer, and Richard
Dennis, a publisher and
equally respected authority
on 19th and 20th century
British art pottery. With their
offer accepted, the daunting
task of first stabilising and then
reviving the fortunes of the
company soon became apparent.
Problem number one concerned
artistic direction. Ever since 1913
the company had only used the
services of two designers, in the
guise of William and his son
Walter. It was decided
that designer
number three
would be Richard's wife,
Sally Tuffin, who had achieved
international acclaim as the 'Tuffin' in
the leading fashion partnership of 'Tuffin
and Maule' that rose to prominence in the
swinging Sixties. Sally's inventive designs
proved to be the medicine that began to
cure the ills of previous years. In
1992 both Sally and Richard left
the company, having sown the seeds
of further success, and have since set
up Dennis China Works, where they
continue to produce fabulous pots.
However, Sally's departure created a
vacuum and probably a small headache
for Hugh Edwards, who was now faced
with the task of finding Moorcroft
designer number four. Hugh gambled
much on a 24-year-old woman by the
name of Rachel Bishop, and in quick
time found that he was holding a
trump card. Her fresh and vibrant
designs were of a standard that belied
her tender years, although she was
mindful of the fact that at 24 she was
the same age as William had been
when he took up his appointment
with Macintyre's in 1897. In the
ensuing years Rachel was joined
by others, and today heads a
design team that numbers eight,
working in an environment
that now offers employment to in excess
of 200 people. Output in recent years has
been well above expectations, and the
company's future looks set to continue on
an upward curve. The members of the
design team also continue to find
individual favour with an international
public that sooner or later gravitate
towards membership of the Moorcroft
Collector's Club. In recent times the work
of Emma Bossons has attracted no end of
praise with her 'Queens Choice' pattern,
while Rachel Bishop's vase 'Owl Penn
Manor', released as a limited edition, was
virtually an instant sell out - remarkable
for a vase that will set you back
somewhere in the region of £2,500. But not
all current designs will have you digging
quite so deep. Angela Davenport's 'Wood
Side Farm' winter landscape has been a
particularly popular choice for many
collectors, with Philip Gibson's 'Leaping
Trout' design already finding its way into
the Christmas stockings of quite a few
lucky anglers. The present-day team is
completed by the collective talents of
Sîan Leaper, Shirley Hayes, Nicola Slaney
and Sandra Dance. Sandra's work is
devoted to those miniature masterpieces
hand-painted on to enamel at the
Worcestershire-based sister company of
Moorcroft Enamels - but that is yet
another story.
1. Emma Bossons, 'Queen's Choice'.
2. Sally Tuffin, 'Carp'.
3. Angela Davenport, 'Wood Side Farm'.
4. Current designer, Emma Bossons.
5. Current designer, Rachel Bishop.
6. A near pair of 'Florian Ware' 30cm vases, with wear and firing crack, sold at Bonhams in November 2001 for £3,400. (estimated £1,800) Photograph courtesy of Bonhams.
7. Walter Moorcroft, 'After the Storm'.
8. William Moorcroft's 'Florian Ware'.
9. Rachel Bishop 'Owl Penn Manor'.
Unless otherwise stated all the photographs are courtesy of Moorcroft.