'Grotesque'
face mask: This outrageous mask was unlike anything being made
in the Staffordshire Potteries when it appeared in 1929. Her position at
Newport Pottery was clearly firmly established by this time as she had
an apprentice Ron Birks, who produced this piece and two amazing designs,
'Art' and 'Industry, issued as part of the Latona range. We believe the
earliest masks were issued in the new 'Inspiration' glaze, as seen in the
picture on p.56 of 'Art of Bizarre'. This piece may confirm this as it
has only a 'Newport Pottery' backstamp, and also bears an unusual 'RB'
monogram; most examples have a 'Clarice Cliff Bizarre' backstamp. Clarice
did acknowledge Birks' design as he received a royalty for each one sold.
His son recalled running around the family home when he was young using
a 'Grotesque' mask as a toy!
'Grotesque'
Face Mask
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'Xanthic'
teaset: This set represents a very Bizarre amalgamation of the
abstract 1933 'Xanthic ' design with the Art Nouveau inspired Daffodil
shape Clarice first issued in 1931. The limited palette of yellow and orange
with purple outlining makes 'Xanthic' a unique abstract. |
'Trees
and House': Bon Jour sugar dredger : This oval sugar dredger in
the 'Bon Jour' range was issued in many of Clarice's post 1933 designs,
but this is the FIRST recorded example of 'Trees and House' on the shape,
and it is therefore thought to be unique.
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'Subway
Sadie': This rare piece has the shape named hand-painted on the
base. Much of the Clarice Cliff 'legend' springs from the very everyday
inspiration for her imaginative ceramics. This was based on her mid-Twenties
Dutch 'peg doll' idea (see p.136 'Art of Bizarre'). This led to the 'United
Services' child's cruet in 1928, and the 'Subway Sadie' pieces, which Clarice
named after a 1926 film starring Dorothy Mackaill (see 'Clarice Cliff the
Art of Bizarre' p.102) Ironically, the film plot had the heroine dreaming
of traveling to Paris one day, just as Clarice did in 1925!
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'May
Avenue' miniature vase shape 572 : This 'Lynton' shape vase is
in the rarer, smaller size and has been careful painted with all of the
pattern, somewhat of an achievement! This shows the skills of Clarice's
hand paintresses by 1933, and suggests it was a sample.
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362 vase: This vase is in one of Clarice's definitive patterns,
but has non-standard blue, yellow and orange banding.
'Blue
Firs' Lynton shape coffeepot: This 1933/1934 pot features the whole
of the design, including the red-roofed cottage, and beach and cliff on
the reverse. Later examples usually have these elements missing.
'Mountain'
Conical Sugar dredger: The name of this Fantasque range design
is ironically taken from the reverse of the image as on teapots it is the
tree which faces you as you hold the teapot in your right hand.
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'Original
Bizarre' 'Octagon Candlestick: It has recently been discovered
that the source of this (technically) incorrectly named shape, is a 'weed
holder' made in metal by Frank Lloyd Wright! When he extended his Chicago,
Oak Park home in 1898 with a studio, he built his library in an octagonal
form. In that room were the 'weed holders'. The shape was reduced in size
to make 12 inch and 8 inch candlesticks by Clarice Cliff (or possibly John
Butler) sometime before 1927. The source of the shape was acknowledged
in the name.
'Circle
and Squares' coffee can and saucer: This early piece is from a
set on which the outliner was clearly allowed to elaborately and cleverly
adapt the pattern to fit radially on the saucer. This was too time consuming
so usually after 1929 Clarice had her paintresses just band saucers. The
early gilt 'Fantasque' backstamp on the pieces suggests that the design
may have appeared late in 1928, not 1929 as previously believed.
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'Pine
Grove' Beehive honeypot: This small size 'Beehive Honeypot' is
painted in a 1935 landscape with the later style Clarice used, of more
intense detail, including a fine lining over the pattern.
'Picasso
Flower' tray: This large tray was multi purpose, being intended
to hold a Lemonade set, a sandwich set, or just to be sold as a tray to
go with a teaset in the same 1929 design. |
| 'Delecia'
Fern pot shape 421: The contrast between the severe Art Deco inspired
shape and flowing watery 'Delecia' decoration makes this truly a bizarre
example of Clarice Cliff's work! |
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'Laughing
Cat' pencil holder: The Louis Wain shape cat was first issued by
Wilkinson's before 1926. Clarice used it as part of her 'Bizarre' ware
range from 1927 onwards, but more simply decorated and in brighter colours.
As was the case with her Golly figure shape, it was also issued it as a
child's pencil holder.
'Oranges'
Biscuit jar shape 402: This piece from the Conical ware series
is not usually seen with its original lid. This rare example has the pattern
painted on all the feet and fins, meaning it almost certainly was a sample
originally. |
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'Red
Roofs' Lotus jug: This was an untypical Clarice Cliff design as
it did not 'repeat' around the vessel, but featured an entirely different
image on the reverse, in this case giant orange flowers.
'Golly'pencil
holder: the Golly was part of the 'Nursery' bookend set, also adapted
to be a child's pencil holder: Clarice produced many children's' novelties
to go with the Joan Shorter Children's ware which she also designed, even
though it was credited to Colley's daughter.
'Stile
and Trees' Isis vase: By 1937 when this design appeared Clarice
was issuing few new landscape patterns and the images reflected a more
natural style in realistic colours compared to the 'Bizarre' or 'Fantasque'
ones.
'Blue
Chintz' Isis vase:
The 12 inch 'Lotus' jug shape was renamed 'Isis' by Clarice around 1929/1930,
when she also created a 10 inch size. But, with many examples having 'Lotus'
impressed on the base, to save confusion, the shape with handles is now
always referred to as 'Lotus' by collectors. Examples with no handle (which
only appeared from 1929/1930 onwards) are referred to as 'Isis' vases,
and these were made in 12, 10, 8, and 6 inch sizes. |
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'Mondrian'
Lotus jug:
this design is very loosely painted, with great colour variations between
examples. It dates from 1929/1930 when the paintresses were less closely
supervised and unusual pieces often 'escaped' from the 'Bizarre' decorating
shop. On this piece for example, the main yellow 'block' was usually painted
orange or left clear.
'House
and Bridge' shape 363 vase:
The 363 vase was one of the new series of shapes Clarice issued in 1928
especially designed to be easy to band and enamel, having no surface orange
or corners. This is a thirties example in 'House and Bridge' dates from
1931/1932.
'Autumn
Blue' spill vase shape 656: This stunning tall vase is a rarer
shape, which is surprising as it is perfect for Clarice's designs. The
later shape number suggests it was issued in 1932 or 1933, although the
numbers do not seem to have been allocated sequentially at this time. Therefore,
the 'Autumn' design on this is a later 'matching'.
'Umbrellas'
vase shape 186 :
This 'Fantasque' design appeared to have briefly been produced with just
the umbrellas section and then as the better-known 'Umbrellas & Rain'.
'Tee
Pee' teapot:
This shape was designed just before the war started in 1939 by Clarice's
apprentice Betty Sylvester, but not put into production until 1947 when
many were made and exported to Canada, only to be sent back to Britain
as souvenirs!
'Gardenia
Red' shape 370 'Globe' vase: this
shape was introduced in late 1928 and proved very popular right through
until the late thirties. This example is in 'Gardenia' from 1931. A large
18 inch high example of this shape is known from just one example, it was
for a stockist in Blackpool, who was a special friend of Colley Shorter's. |
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