// Buyer’s Guide
should ever make Ruskin pottery again. “I have finished my work and…nobody shall ever make Ruskin Pottery,” he said, deaf to the clamours of chemists and potters from around the world offering huge sums for his recipe books.
He died two years later, aged just 59, taking the secrets to his grave, but his reputation was assured. At his funeral many paid tribute to ‘The greatest potter since the Ming Dynasty’, while Mr. Kaines Smith, curator of the Birmingham Art Gallery, said simply, “I regarded him as one of the greatest artist-craftsmen of our time”.
For me, this is what makes his work so collectable today; the fabulous colours, the incredible skill and quality, the nods to the Orient, but also this overwhelming feeling of dedication that comes off every piece – even the tiniest two-inch bowls are perfectly glazed, works of art in miniature.
High Fired Wares: 1903 -1927 The pinnacle of William Howson Taylor’s achievements are his high fired glazes, all in a wonderful array of colours and techniques which included Sang de Beouf, Crushed Strawberry and Snake Skin, as well as many other hues from deep purple to vibrant green, produced after many years of development and experimentation. The bodies used were made of fine porcelain and stoneware mix which could withstand the complicated sequence of high temperature firings. Howson Taylor himself described the wares as “unique and unrepeatable” and the final success (or failure) of a batch would depend on a complex collection of factors including temperature, placement in the kiln, smoke and even the cooling process. Many pieces didn’t make the grade; those that did carried price tickets of up to £50 each, a huge amount at the time.
The high fired wares were produced throughout the firm’s life time with two key periods being 1903 to 1914 and again between 1920 and 1933. Today the first period examples are still considered by collectors to be some of Howson Taylor’s finest work owing to the level of experimentation, however later works display a competence and understanding of the processes involved. Truly individual, they are highly desired by collectors, with prices running from £200 for a small bowl to £8,000 to £10,000 for a large vase and stand.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: GLAZE EFFECTS
Soufflé Wares: 1898 – 1914 From the early years of experimentation Ruskin’s first range of decorative glazes were known as Soufflé wares. Howson Taylor developed this process by spraying his Soufflé wares with many different coloured powders, producing pieces in a rainbow of hues from graded blues to pink, celadon, grey, mauve and green. Soufflé wares were produced throughout the history of the company, however the key years are still considered from 1898 until 1914; these pieces, in particular the rarer, decorated examples or those with applied silver mounts, remain popular with collectors. Prices range from around £100 to as much as £2,000 plus for rarer silver mounted examples from firms such as Liberty & Co or Haseler.
Lustre Wares: 1905 - 1926 Introduced in 1905, Howson Taylor described his range of lustre glazes as “delicate and brilliant colours made jewel-like by the medium through which they are seen”. Drawing inspiration from other ceramicists including William De Morgan, Ginori, Maws and Craven Dunnill, Howson Taylor applied lustre chiefly to finer potted items including tea and table wares. Colours included lemon, orange, lilac, green and the stunning 'Kingfisher Blue', with its petrol iridescent sheen on a deep navy body. Small bowls can be found from as little as £20 and prices rise to around £300 to £400. However, ‘Kingfisher Blue’ commands higher prices and could easily run to £2,000.
Crystalline and Matte Wares: 1922 - 1933 The Paris Exhibition of 1925 brought dramatic developments to design and increasingly Ruskin Pottery was beginning to look out of step with fashion. Mechanisation was affecting hand-crafted wares and Howson Taylor, inspired by the new fashion for all things Egyptian, began creating heavier potted wares with strong lines decorated with matte and crystalline glazes, the surfaces of the latter glitter with small crystals, achieved by firing at high temperatures. Only needing two firings, they were cheaper to produce than the high-fired pieces and more affordable to buy. Today these are still considered one of the most affordable options for a collector, starting at just £15. Larger, more heavily crystal-flecked examples are considered more desirable and can reach £400 to £500.
Fieldings Auctioneers next 20th Century sale ‘Decades of Design’ on 21st October 2017 will feature a selection of pieces by the Ruskin Pottery. For further information please contact Will Farmer on 01384 444140 or visit our website:
www.fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk
/ 131
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
