The Poole Pottery Collector

Contemporary vase in HYL pattern

2009-11-29T02:38:00.000-08:00

A Sydenham and Read designed vase from 1956-1957, shape number 725. Handpainted with the 'horizontal rope pattern', HYL designed by Ruth Pavely and Ann Read. The background is alpine white and the interior mushroom pink.

Mist blue & peach bloom vase

2009-11-29T02:30:00.000-08:00

A classic baluster shape vase glazed in C100, peach boom & mist blue. This colour combination had a short production run from 1953-1954 so is less commonly seen. This vase measures 7.25 inches in height and has a die stamped shape number 443.

Star wall pocket

2009-11-29T01:08:00.000-08:00

An exceptionally rare wall pocket from a range designed by John Adams in the early 1930s. It measures 7 inches point to point. Glazed in magnolia white.

It has the impressed Poole England mark to the reverse and is stencilled magnolia white. The shape number, 883, is hand incised.

Poole Sylvan jardiniere pot

2009-11-29T01:01:00.000-08:00

A lovely Sylvan glazed pot measuring 7 inches in diameter. Hand thrown in the early 1930s the glaze is M38.

The base bears the impressed Poole England mark, a stencilled 'Sylvan ware', and a shape number 179 is hand incised.

Art deco trumpet vase

2009-11-29T00:59:00.000-08:00

Designed in the early 1930s by John Adams this vase is 10 inches tall. It is a classic deco shape and is glazed in seagull and sepia (C72).

The base bears the impressed Poole England mark, the sprayer's mark and a hand incised 459.

Contemporary vase 725

2009-11-28T02:55:00.000-08:00

Glazed in sky blue this is another unusual contemporary vase from the same design partnership. Measuring 7 3/4 inches.

Freeform vase 720

2009-11-28T02:53:00.000-08:00

This freeform vase is glazed in lime yellow and was designed for slip casting by Read and Sydenham between 1956-57. Measuring 9 inches in height it is an attractive and unusual 50s shape.

Contemporary bottle vases 706 707

2009-11-28T02:50:00.000-08:00

Hand thrown vases from the 1950s glazed in black panther glaze. This shapes were designed by Alfred Read and Guy Sydenham between 1953-1957.

The smaller one measures 7 5/8 inches, the larger 10 5/8 inches.

Art deco candelabra

2009-11-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

A large and unusual candelabra designed by John Adams and modelled by Harry Brown in the early 1930s.

This example is glazed in pastel pink.

Ariel biscuit barrel

2009-11-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

A rare ariel biscuit barrel glazed in pastel yellow. Ariel shaped tableware is scarce and this shape is rarely seen. Designed in the 1930s, the chrome handle is original.

The base is marked with the impressed Poole England mark, shape number 926 and stencilled pastel yellow.

Pastel blue art deco jug

2009-11-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

An unusual hand thrown jug dating from the early 1930s and glazed in pastel blue. It measures 6 inches in height.

It has the impressed Poole England mark to the base and a hand incised 310. It is stencilled 'pastel blue' in black.

Art deco lathe turned vase

2009-11-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

An unusual seagull and celadon art deco vase. The lathe turned ridges are very distinctive. It measures 7 inches in height.

The base has the impressed Poole England mark and a hand incised 795. The glaze code is C67.

Pair of early Sylvan vases

2009-11-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

An unusual pair of vases, measuring 5 inches in height. Glazed in an unusual Sylvan glaze, coded M6. It is a blue/grey colouring.

Clearly early pieces, they have the impressed Poole England mark and a hand incised 113. One has a handpainted M6 on the base.

Small Everest bowl

2009-11-22T02:51:00.000-08:00

A lovely small Everest bowl measuring 6 inches in diameter. The 4 bands of colour are ridged and are glazed in typical neutral tones.

The base bears the impressed Poole England mark and a hand incised 726X37.

Small Everest vase

2009-11-22T02:46:00.000-08:00

An unusual and small (4 inch high) Everest vase. Glazed in a rich cream with incised bands in 3 neutral shades.

Has impressed Poole England mark to base and is stencilled Everest. Hand incised 764 X 27 and 767 to base.

Carafe in ice green

2009-11-21T05:33:00.000-08:00

From the later 1950s this ice green carafe is shape number 589 the second of four sizes. Designed by Guy Sydenham and Alfred Read between 1953-1957 and hand thrown around that date.

Circular dish

2009-11-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

Originally modelled in the 1930s this lovely, simple dish is glazed in shagreen and magnolia. It has a die stamped shape number 786 to base along with an impressed Poole England mark and the glaze code C65.

Shagreen and magnolia vase

2009-11-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

This shagreen and magnolia vase is shape number 695- die stamped dating it to after 1947. It is clearly a design from an earlier period with its classic deco lines and simple form.

It has the impressed Poole England mark to the base and glaze code C65.

DNG pattern dinner service

2009-11-21T05:12:00.000-08:00

This is an unusual pattern on an early 50s dinner service from Poole. Simple yet stylish, the pattern features sprigs of rosehips (or similar). On streamline flatware and marked with the early 1950s Poole mark, either side of the dolphin (1951-1955).

Hand painted pattern code /DNG painted on back of all pieces. Jean Baker's paintress mark.

Sylvan posy

2009-11-08T02:23:00.000-08:00

Sylvan posy vase glazed in Sylvan glaze M36. It has a hand incised 176 on the base and measures 9.25 inches across.

The Poole England mark is impressed to the base, this is a good early example from the early 1930s.

Contemporary vase 704

2009-11-08T02:12:00.000-08:00

This shape is hard to find and is the larger of the two designs by Guy Sydenham and Alfred Read between 1953-1957. Glazed in ice green with an alpine white interior it has the circular Hand made Poole mark dating from the mid 1950s.

A simple, yet striking shape it is very evocative of the period.

Very large Dove handled vase

2009-11-08T02:07:00.000-08:00

Made in a variety of sizes this vase is hard to find. This example is particularly unusual both for its size and age. It is an early example, dating form the 1930s with a hand incised 238 shape number. The impressed Poole England mark is found on the base along with the word 'shagreen' in black stencil.

It measures 15 inches from base to rim and the other proportions match. At its widest point the circumference measures approximately 36 inches! It is very heavy too. A rare show piece.

Triple branch candelabra

2009-11-08T02:03:00.000-08:00

Designed in the early 1930s by John Adams this is an unusual pair of candelabra. They are glazed in an ice green glaze and feature moulded, stylised grapes and leaves.

With the impressed Poole England mark and a hand incised 249 they are earlier examples of their type.

Cottees Auction

2009-11-08T01:55:00.000-08:00

It was the twice yearly sale at Cottees in Wareham (www.cottees.co.uk) yesterday. As there were several interesting pieces I went down to the sale. It was good to see prices for contemporary and freeform pieces are holding up, Delphis and Aegean was proving difficult to sell.

I bought a few pieces which I'll post shortly- including an enormous vase, pictures of which can do no justice to the scale! Must have really taken some throwing!

Rare commemorative tea set

2009-10-18T02:13:00.000-07:00

This rare tea for two set was Painted by Ruth Pavely in 1938. It is referred to on p66 of Hayward and Atterbury's book, where a plate I own is featured.

This was purchased form the Christie's Poole Pottery museum and archive sale in 2004 as lot 94.

Shagreen art deco bowl

2009-10-18T02:05:00.000-07:00

Similar to a design by Harold Stabler in 1925-26 this is a rare shape with floral stylised handles. The pattern number, 672, is hand incised in the base and it has shagreen stencilled to the base along with the impressed Poole England mark.

Dove ashtray

2009-10-18T01:59:00.000-07:00

A rare design and shape- a dove ashtray. Designed in the 1930s and glazed in C50 and C83 these ashtrays are marked Poole England to the base. Probably designed by John Adams around the time of the seashells, fish etc.

They have a hand incised pattern number on the base- 870.

Poole Black Pebble

2009-10-17T02:05:00.000-07:00

Part of an extensive Black Pebble dinner service, designed by Robert Jefferson in 1959. The pattern was applied using the Murray Curvex process of direct printing onto tableware. Retailed through Heals and available as pictured here matched with black panther or alternatively a grey pebble design matched with dove grey.

Most of these pieces bear the special 'pebble' Poole England mark.

Elephant bookend

2009-10-17T01:33:00.000-07:00

Elephant bookend designed by Harold Brownsword between 1928-1930. This one is slip cast in white earthenware and glazed in ice green. A rare and unusual piece.

Hand incised 813 (pattern number) and impressed Poole England mark to base.

Unusual Deco vase

2009-10-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

A large and unusual shape vase dating from the 1930s. This one is glazed in a Sylvan glaze, M24. The 3 bands give a distinct and stylish look to the simple form of the piece.

The pattern number, 248, is hand incised in the base and the impressed Poole England mark has been used.

Ship bookends

2009-10-10T02:39:00.000-07:00

One of the pair of bookends in my collection. These are rare finds and date from the 1930s, designed by John Adams. Glazed in the unusual twintone glaze C83- sky and seagull.

They have a hand incised shape number -815- and an impressed Poole England mark. The glaze code C83 is stencilled to the base.

Double candelabras

2009-10-10T02:29:00.001-07:00

Dating from the 1930s these plain but stylish candelabras are glazed in a selection of plain and mottled colours. Designed probably by John Adams they were produced through to the late 1940s. They have the shape number 977 on the base along with the impressed Poole mark.

Everest plant pot

2009-10-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

A most unusual Everest plant pot dating from the mid 1930s. In bolder colours than usually seen on Everest pieces and marked with a hand incised pattern number 807X62. It has a typical black rim to the base.

The base has 'Everest' stencilled onto it along with the impressed 'Poole England' mark.

World War II export coffee set

2009-10-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

During the war plain utility ware was produced for the British market. For export, however, patterns were still developed. This coffee set appears in Heal's portfolio for export to North America and is rarely seen. It is characterised by a dark grey lid and pale pink handles.

The pieces have intriguing incised numbers to the base: the sugar bowl 212X85, the cups 231X85, the pot 232X85 and the saucers 233X85. Each piece has an impressed star indicating a factory trial and the impressed 'Poole England' mark.

A very rare and unusual set.

Wimborne plates

2009-10-04T02:33:00.000-07:00

Much less commonly seen than streamline plates these Wimborne plates are distinguished by the raised decoration around the rim. Designed in the 1930s by John Adams, Wimborne was an 'upmarket' tableware range.

These plates are sprayed in mushroom glaze and bear the black printed 'Poole England' mark.

Sylvan comport

2009-10-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

A really stylish 1930s bowl sprayed in Sylvan glaze M79. The simple art deco shape is quite striking, especially with the raised centre.

The outside is glazed white and the base bears a Sylvan ware stencil, shape number 252 and the impressed 'Poole England' mark.

New Forest tea set

2009-10-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

Tea pot, milk jug and sugar bowl all in Sylvan glaze M24, New Forest. It is unusual to see tableware in the Sylvan glazes and these are nice examples. Dating from the mid 1930s they are streamline shapes.

The tea pot is stencilled 'New Forest', whilst the other two pieces have M24 painted to the base. The mark is the impressed 'Poole England' mark.

Small biscuit barrel

2009-10-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

This is an unusual early biscuit barrel in the hard to find small size- shape number 630. It dates form the early 1930s. The cane handle is original and unusual with the green and natural woven design.

The base is coloured to look like red clay dating it around 1934 when the change from red to white clay took place. It is sprayed in a pastel green glaze.

The base has the impressed 'Poole England' mark, a hand incised 630 and stencilled 'Pastel green'.

Yacht

2009-10-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

A rare Poole yacht from the 1930s. The yacht is designed to be free standing or wall hung. The yachts were probably designed by John Adams and modelled by Harry Brown between 1937-38.

Unusually, this yacht is sprayed in celadon glaze. It has the impressed 'Poole England' mark.

Watkinson motif mustard pot

2009-10-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

A rare mustard pot painted with a 'Watkinson motif' (KV4) designed by Truda Carter and painted by Ruth Pavely. This is painted on Dorset table ware and supplied exclusively to Heals and Son from 1936-1940.

This is the pot featured in the Hayward and Atterbury book and formed part of a lot purchased at the Poole Museum and archive sale in 1992.

Impressed 'Poole England' mark, hand incised shape number 130 and hand painted KV4 (pattern) and Ruth Pavely painter's mark to base.

Hand thrown jug

2009-10-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

A hand thrown 1930s jug from my collection. This is glazed in pastel blue and bears the hand incised shape number 370. Many of the jug shapes were produced over a few decades, sometimes with sloght modifications to the original design.

Impressed mark 'Poole England' and stencilled 'Pastel blue'.

Spill vase

2009-09-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Another rare piece dating from the 1930s, a spill vase in a deco cubist style. The stepped design and sharp angles are highly stylised. It has a hand incised shape number 408 on the base and is stencilled celadon. The Poole mark is impressed.

Fan vase

2009-09-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

An unusual Art Deco Poole vase dating from the early 1930s. This vase is shape number 457 and glazed in C55. It has the impressed Poole England mark on the base.

This was available in different sizes, this example is 7" tall.

Blue pool dish

2009-09-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

This dish, pattern number 920 (hand incised) is glazed in the rarely seen Blue Pool glaze- stencilled on the base. It is different from many other glazes of the period as it has a high sheen gloss finish along with the mottling seen on other matt glazes. Poole England is impressed in the inside foot rim.

This item was purchased from the Christie's auction of the Poole museum and archive and formed part of a bulk lot (no. 74). It is another rare and unusual piece.

Wimborne tureen

2009-09-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

Much less common than streamline or contour tableware this is from the Wimborne range available in the 1930s. This particular example is seagull with an ice green interior, but magnolia knop and handles. As with a lot of Poole of this period it is finely potted and has a rich glaze finish.

The Poole England mark is barely visible on the base and is printed on rather than impressed.

Rare plane ware bowl

2009-09-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

A really very rare plane ware bowl, glazed with Sylvan glaze M24. It is stencilled 'plane ware' on the base and a hand incised 256P indicates the shape. The Poole England impressed mark has been used.

A design lacking in practicality as it is a little unstable on the rim foot which is out of proportion to the pot.

Cigarette box

2009-09-27T02:18:00.000-07:00

A Poole pottery box designed to hold 100 cigarettes. This item featured in the Poole range in the 1930s- exhibited in 1938. This box is sprayed in an unusual hydrangea (stencilled on base) glaze and has an incised 519 on the base.

This is an early example of this shape. Examples from the 50s are seen as biscuit fired stocks of this shape were held by the factory. As a result twintone glazes dated after 1947 ( when the shape was withdrawn) are still seen.

Tea for two

2009-09-27T00:32:00.000-07:00

The Poole pottery breakfast-in-bed set was designed around 1938. This is a particularly unusual set as it is painted with Truda Carter's 'Leaping Deer' design, renamed 'Spring' in the 1950s. This set dates from the 1950s. Notice it still has the tab finial/knop on the teapot.

It is marked Poole England with the dolphin in between. A stamp used from 1951-1955. JY/P is painted on the bottom, the pattern code for 'Spring'. JY/G being used on the green version of the pattern.

Rowing boat ashtray

2009-09-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

A good collection of rowing boat ashtrays, shape number 542. These are attributed to a John Adams design and assumed to be modelled by Harry Brown in the early 1930s.

From front to back glazed in C50, C54, C65, C57 and C84. All have the impressed Poole England mark and an incised 542. Most have a twintone reference code on the base.

Display plaque

2009-09-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

This Anne Read designed plaque is a worthy centre piece of the collection. It represents so much of what Poole was about in the Fifties. A rare piece with a stunning handpainted design.

Two hole vase

2009-09-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

A very unusual two hole vase. This one is shape number 343 and painted in pattern PT, known as Butterflies. It is a difficult shape to find and looks as stylish today as it would have done when designed in the mid 1950s.

It bears the black ink Poole England stamp with the dolphin in the centre.

Poole plane ware bowl

2009-09-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Glazed in a Sylvan glaze with magnolia handles, this is a nice example of plane ware. It bears the impressed Poole England mark and a stencilled M77 - the Sylvan glaze code (quite a rare one).

The bowl dates from the mid 1930s and is one of 3 in my collection. The others are glazed in M24 and M72. The shape number is 196P.

Nursery mug

2009-09-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

This small mug is another unusual piece from my collection. It is painted with a clown and an elephant. The shape number 648 is impressed into the base.

Unusual vase

2009-09-26T05:02:00.000-07:00

A most unusual shaped vase from my collection. I would suggest there was a strong African influence to this design. In his early years John Adams had worked in Natal- it seems possible the design dates from this period. The vase measures 14" in height.

It has the impressed Poole England mark and the stencilled mark 'pastel grey'.

The tall bottle vase behind appears to be in a trial glaze. It is brown with a black speckle. It bears the Poole mark from 1952-55 and an impressed 694. It may well have come from the Studio factory at Poole.

QYT coffee pot and hot water jug

2009-09-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Exceptionally rare pieces from my collection include this black panther coffee pot and hot water jug painted with an Alfred Read design. The designs date from 1954 and this particular one is QYT. The production lifespan was short and popularity limited, hence their relative scarceness.

The bold colours work well on the matt black background. I also have a sugar bowl painted with TQU design and a coffee cup and saucer in QYT.

Candlesticks

2009-09-26T00:56:00.000-07:00

This collection of candlesticks range from the highly decorative to the plain pure art deco form. These designs are attributed to John Adams and moulded by harry Brown. Sprayed in pastel shades, mottles or solid colours they all date from 1930s designs. The curled snail like form perhaps being representative of waves due to Poole's proximity to the sea.

The more elaborate candelabras are designed by John Adams and feature fruit moulded around the sconces.

Picotee banded dinner ware

2009-09-26T00:48:00.000-07:00

Produced in the 1930s and characterised by sprayed bands of colour, Picotee ware is hard to find. This is an unusual addition to my collection. The soup bowls, stands and covers are unique to this range so the shape may have been bought in.

The bands were sprayed on to the magnolia base and represented the first use of an aerobrush technique. The pieces bear the impressed Poole England mark.

Centre piece bowl

2009-09-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

A fine early example of this stylish shaped bowl. It bears the impressed "Carter, Stabler, Adams Poole England" mark so dates from the very early 1930s. It is glazed in a Sylvan glaze, M24.

The bowl has a diameter of 13" and bears the hand incised shape code 847.

Pot pourri

2009-09-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

This new addition to the collection is a very rare find. It is shape number 631, a pot pourri pot and cover. The lid and sides of the pot are pierced. It is glazed in New Forest.

The piece dates from the early 1930s and measures just 3" in height. It bears the impressed Poole mark, stencilled New Forest and a hand incised 631.

Hand painted dessert set

2009-09-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

This dessert set is a new addition to my collection. It consists of a 12.5" comport and 6 8.25" dessert plates. They are painted in MM pattern which features fruit and flowers. Shades of pink and brown are used. Whilst the original designs, by Truda Carter, date from the 1930s this set was produced and painted in the mid 1950s. At this time the patterns were redesigned, losing some of their crispness.

Goblets

2009-09-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

A less common table ware item is the goblet. This was a shape produced at Poole from the 1950s onwards and are relatively rarely seen. They revived a design from the 30s as did so much Poole tableware.

These two are glazed in Blue Moon and marked Poole England on the inside of the foot. They are the only two I have in my collection so make an interesting addition.

Plane ware planter

2009-09-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

This is a relatively newly acquired piece at auction. It is from the Plane ware range produced in the early 1930s and based on existing plain pot designs. To these pots were added wing like handles and attachments. The attachments were often glazed in contrasting colours to produce a striking effect.

This planter is biscuit in colour. It is marked Poole England, stencilled Plane ware and marked with pattern code 209P. The P suffix was added to all Plane ware pieces to distinguish them from their plain counterparts.

Plane ware pieces are rare today and still present a modern, clean look.

Picotee glazed fish

2009-09-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

This fish is from a design attributed to John Adams and modelled by Harry Brown in the early 1930s. It is sprayed with picotee green and new blue glazes which would have been applied by air brush. This resulted in the blended effect of the colours.
It is stamped Poole England and marked with model number 334 and the colour reference P4.

I have two other similar fish in my collection, one in magnolia white and the other mushroom. The other shape fish currently evades the collection. Like all collectors I have a regret story when I saw one at auction and didn't bid...

Collect It magazine

2009-09-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

I'm featured in October's Collect It magazine. As part of a feature on living with collections I was interviewed and photographed for an article on my obsessive habit! It followed on from a lot of my collection being featured in a new book titled 'Poole Twintone and Tableware' by Anne Wilkinson (www.twintone.co.uk). Many of the rarer pieces from my collection are featured in this book.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to share my collection with fellow enthusiasts of the varied wares produced by Poole pottery through its history.

Please do leave a comment if you'd like to see a picture of anything in particular or have a similar interest...

Everest collection

2009-09-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

Poole produced Everest ware from 1932. I like the angular details which are very art Deco in style. The bands are raised and painted in pastel shades of pink, grey, green or brown. The subtle colouring enhances the plain impact of these pieces. The neutral tones ensure the pieces have remained timeless. The high quality matt finish of the glaze adds to the quality finish of these expensive pieces.

I have several Everest pieces in my collection, but they are quite rare. Typically 'Everest' is stencilled onto the base along with a Poole backstamp.

Gazelle

2009-09-19T01:48:00.000-07:00

This is the latest addition to my collection. It is the larger size of the gazelle produced in the late 40s/ early 50s. It was modelled by Marjorie Drawbell in 1948. The glaze is sprayed producing a natural shade and light effect. Detail is picked out in darker glazes.

It is impressed 'Poole England' and die stamped 806/2.

Commemorative hors d'oeuvres dish

2009-09-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

The Festival of Britain hors d'oeuvres dish was designed by John Adams between 1936-1938. The pattern was designed by Claude Smale and painted on an alpine white glaze.

Small quantities of these commemoratives were produced due to production problems resulting in pieces being quite scarce.

The collection

2009-09-19T01:29:00.000-07:00

I have collected Poole Pottery for over 25 years now. It is an extensive collection of over 3000 pieces. The focus of the collection is plain Poole. The variety of colours, finishes, shapes and sizes seems to be infinite. My collection covers the period from the 1930s through to the sixties. The vases produced over this period are a particular interest of mine.

I will feature individual pieces or groups of pieces and comment on them. If you can ever help with further information please use the comment option to contact me.