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TABLE
& DINNER WARES ~
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Many enquiries
are about simple, traditional tableware, plates or dinner sets,
with a green or black backstamp saying either -
Clarice
Cliff
Newport Pottery
or
Royal
Staffordshire Ceramics/Dinnerware by
Clarice
Cliff
This Ware is
post- War, (or sometimes from 1937 to 1941) and not very collectable and
hence of low value.
Some people seem intent to prove
their
piece is rare and has to be valuable, or that they got a ‘bargain’. |
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We have had to
disillusion rather a lot along the way, but here to commemorate more than
four years of the ‘Doc’ is a selection of Questions and Answers!
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THE
LILY AND SWAN SHAPED PLANTERS ~
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Question:-
"I have
a bowl shaped like a Water lily and have not managed to see one like it
anywhere. I suspect it may be valuable, can you help?"
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Shape 973 'Lily' Planter
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Answer:-
The Water lily
bowl (shape 973) was part of a series of ware; this piece was designed
to hold spring bulbs in peat. The range was issued in 1938 but produced
until the late fifties, and over 250,000 were sold, many to Australia or
New Zealand, so it’s common and can often be found for less than £100.
There are a few colour variants known and also a similar planter in the
shape of a Swan.
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THE
JAMPOT LID ISSUE..! ~
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Question:-
"I
have bought a Clarice Cliff 1930s Jampot from a local dealer, who assures
me the EPNS lid he sold it with is original; can you please confirm this?"
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Answer:-
No,
we can confirm that without exception the Drum shape jampots (and Beehive)
were never issued with EPNS lids. There are MANY lidless jampots, as everyone
is looking for replacement lids, As you have found some dealers will say
anything to get a sale! Some of the very early 'Original Bizarre' Jampots
do have a fitted EPNS lid, but only the very early (late 1920s) pieces
are like this.
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THE
'FAKES' & RARITY ISSUE ~
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Question:-
"I bought
a Clarice Cliff plate in the Clovelly pattern for £30 at a car boot
recently, and believe it is rather rare as the banding is gold and blue
fine lines around the rim. IS it worth more because of this?"
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Read more about Clarice Cliff
Fakes
and how to spot them HERE
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Answer:-
This is a functional
dinner plate with a banded rim and plain centre, the pattern was added
recently to deceive. As the banding is partly in gold we are certain of
this. This was also done on plates with broad edge banding in colours that
matched the central design they added. These were on the market a few years
back. So the plate IS a Clarice Cliff one, with an original backstamp,
but we are afraid it is worthless. It is illegal to sell it as it has a
registered trademark. If you can trace the vendor report them to your local
Trading Standards. Buyer beware!
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| CLARICE
CLIFF TOBY JUGS ~ |
| Question:-
"I think
I have found something rare! It is Toby jug but by Clarice Cliff, surely
she only did Art Deco?"
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| Answer:-
This traditional
Toby jug shape was made for both Shorter and Sons and Wilkinson's simultaneously
from before the War. Being decorated underglaze, and made in large quantities,
this shape probably continued to be made from 1946 to the middle the fifties.
There are at least three sizes, they are not rare, are worth around £50
to £130, although they may be worth more to a 'Toby' collector.
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| POTTERY
BY CLARICE'S FACTORY WORKERS ~ |
| Question:-
"I have
a plate with an unusual mark for the paintress Gladys Scarlett and believe
she was connected with Clarice Cliff? Is it valuable?"
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| Answer:-
Your plate
was produced by the Steventon factory in Stoke where Gladys Scarlett worked
briefly as designer after she left Clarice Cliff where she was the first
worker in the Bizarre 'shop'. Economic conditions meant she was only a
designer briefly, and in later years she forgotten this part of her life.
It is a simple tableware design so interesting as she worked with Clarice
Cliff, but is of low value.
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| GOLD BACKSTAMPS
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Question:-
"I have heard that gold backstamps
were only used briefly in the late 20’s by Clarice Cliff but a friend has
an extensive Crocus set with gold marks, can you explain?" |
Awaiting photo
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Answer:-
'Gold' coloured backstamps were
used briefly in 1928, but dropped as they were not durable. They were then
used extensively from 1948 to 1958, as on your friend’s pieces. |
Awaiting photo
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| 'Budgerigar'
Wares ~ |
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Question:-
"I have inherited some Clarice
Cliff items with Budgies on the side. Are they valuable - can you tell
me any more about them?" |
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| Answer:-
Clarice Cliff
issued a whole series of these 'Budgerigar' or 'Love Bird' wares in the
late 1930s (1937 - 1939). The items have a ribbed body, matt glaze and
two birds on a branch, which is wrapped around the item. They were fairly
successful when available and are still quite common today. Most items
in the range sell for under £150.
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| 1930s
POTTERY 'IN THE STYLE' OF CLARICE CLIFF ~ |
Question:-
"I have a jug with a hand-painted
mark 'Constance Cliff Hand Painted Westport Pottery', is it valuable, and
is she connected with Clarice Cliff?" |
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| Answer:-
Clarice Cliff
was phenomenally successful in the 30’s, to the extent that many factories
in Stoke-on-Trent tried to emulate her shapes or patterns. In this case
a factory decorated very old (pre 1920) shapes of unsaleable ware with
simple hand painted blocks of colour; the quality was inferior to Bizarre
ware. It did not affect the market then, and is not of much interest to
collectors now.
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