Feature

The Lost Catalogue

Many Ruskin pottery collectors are familiar with the two catalogues produced by the pottery. The 1905 catalogue issued after the success achieved by the pottery at the 1904 St. Louis exhibition illustrated the 255 shapes that were in production along with the sizes and price codes. In 1906 this was

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Feature

Jewellery and Buttons

A considerable amount of interest has been expressed in the jewellery made using Ruskin Pottery enamels. The opportunity has been taken to study the use of these enamels both by jewellery manufacturers and by amateur makers in the often home-based Arts and Crafts environment. Judging by the number of new

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Feature

The Birth of Stands

A Ruskin Pottery innovation was the introduction of elaborate pottery stands for their vases and bowls, though pottery stands are not the creation of Ruskin Pottery as there are eighteenth century Chinese examples. The earliest Ruskin stand recorded is of 1912, which bears a resemblance to the wooden stands that

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Feature

Anyone For Tea?

In the early years of the Ruskin Pottery table wares were the mainstay of production along with tiles. An article written towards the end of the pottery’s life stated that ‘…at first the cups and saucers were made, followed by tiles of distinctive design and colours.’ and a number of

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Feature

Out With the Old, In With the New

It seems that Howson Taylor decided to design a new range wares to supplement and eventually replace the Ruskin Pottery’s successful, standard lustre range. The fashion for lustre wares was in decline by the mid 1920s and so it is significant that the last year of major lustre forms at

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Feature

Scent For A Woman

Scent Bottle Production at the Factory The Ruskin Pottery made scent bottles from its early years when three designed for metal mounting were illustrated in their 1905 catalogue usually soufflé in glaze. A small number of lustre items date to the First World War period. The main production was in

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Feature

Let There Be Light

The Ruskin Pottery reflected the development of domestic lighting in the early twentieth century. Their 1905 catalogue included two stands for oil lamps (No. 60 13 1/2 inches high and No.65 9 1/2 inches high). Neither are known in examples and they were quickly deleted from the firm’s catalogue. Candlesticks

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Feature

It Takes Two

In its early years the Ruskin Pottery made a number of small items which attracted the attention of some of the metal working firms, principally Liberty & Co. but also the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft, Syner & Beddoes and Levi & Salaman. The small pieces in the Ruskin early catalogue

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Feature

Designs and Shapes

Designs Some of the earliest Ruskin Pottery souffle glazed items have decoration. Several of the pieces submitted to the V&A museum in 1901 are decorated. The firm’s 1905 catalogue stated that when pattern was used it was hand painted and kept subordinate, no attempt being made to be painted realistically,

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Feature

Marks And Labels

1898-1900 Early marks mainly scissors or Taylor stamp on all ‘tocky’ body. WHT stamp mark introduced towards the end of 1900. 1901-1904 White body introduced with marks as above. 1905-1919 White body with exceptions from 1905 and the war period. Oval mark was dropped in 1909 due to imitation by

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Feature

Glaze Types

In the introduction to the Ruskin Pottery 1905 catalogue Howson Taylor noted the colours and glazes then available. ‘The colourings range from slightly broken single colours, to combinations of colours. The colours used are incorporated with the glazes and are therefore limited to the few oxides and colours, which will

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Read All About It

Newspaper articles about Ruskin Pottery and the Taylors “I Remember.” Art Developments in the Midlands By Mr Edward R. Taylor, A.R.C.A. Fifty odd years ago I entered upon my chosen vocation by becoming the first student in the old School of Art at Burslem- a fact which I recalled two

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Feature

Howson Taylor Master Potter

A Memoir with an appreciation of Ruskin PotteryBy L.B. POWELL City of Birmingham School of PrintingCentral School of Arts & CraftsMargaret Street1936 FOREWORD BY THOMAS BIRKETT To all who appreciate fine craftsmanship, this little book is dedicated. William Howson Taylor was a great craftsman; his medium was the potter’s clay,

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Gallery

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The Lost Catalogue

Many Ruskin pottery collectors are familiar with the two catalogues produced by the pottery. The 1905 catalogue issued after the success achieved by the pottery at the 1904 St. Louis exhibition illustrated the 255 shapes that were in production along with the sizes and price codes. In 1906 this was

Jewellery and Buttons

A considerable amount of interest has been expressed in the jewellery made using Ruskin Pottery enamels. The opportunity has been taken to study the use of these enamels both by jewellery manufacturers and by amateur makers in the often home-based Arts and Crafts environment. Judging by the number of new

The Birth of Stands

A Ruskin Pottery innovation was the introduction of elaborate pottery stands for their vases and bowls, though pottery stands are not the creation of Ruskin Pottery as there are eighteenth century Chinese examples. The earliest Ruskin stand recorded is of 1912, which bears a resemblance to the wooden stands that

Anyone For Tea?

In the early years of the Ruskin Pottery table wares were the mainstay of production along with tiles. An article written towards the end of the pottery’s life stated that ‘…at first the cups and saucers were made, followed by tiles of distinctive design and colours.’ and a number of

Out With the Old, In With the New

It seems that Howson Taylor decided to design a new range wares to supplement and eventually replace the Ruskin Pottery’s successful, standard lustre range. The fashion for lustre wares was in decline by the mid 1920s and so it is significant that the last year of major lustre forms at

Scent For A Woman

Scent Bottle Production at the Factory The Ruskin Pottery made scent bottles from its early years when three designed for metal mounting were illustrated in their 1905 catalogue usually soufflé in glaze. A small number of lustre items date to the First World War period. The main production was in

Let There Be Light

The Ruskin Pottery reflected the development of domestic lighting in the early twentieth century. Their 1905 catalogue included two stands for oil lamps (No. 60 13 1/2 inches high and No.65 9 1/2 inches high). Neither are known in examples and they were quickly deleted from the firm’s catalogue. Candlesticks

It Takes Two

In its early years the Ruskin Pottery made a number of small items which attracted the attention of some of the metal working firms, principally Liberty & Co. but also the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft, Syner & Beddoes and Levi & Salaman. The small pieces in the Ruskin early catalogue

Designs and Shapes

Designs Some of the earliest Ruskin Pottery souffle glazed items have decoration. Several of the pieces submitted to the V&A museum in 1901 are decorated. The firm’s 1905 catalogue stated that when pattern was used it was hand painted and kept subordinate, no attempt being made to be painted realistically,

Marks And Labels

1898-1900 Early marks mainly scissors or Taylor stamp on all ‘tocky’ body. WHT stamp mark introduced towards the end of 1900. 1901-1904 White body introduced with marks as above. 1905-1919 White body with exceptions from 1905 and the war period. Oval mark was dropped in 1909 due to imitation by

View More