Anna Lisa Thomson for Upsala Ekeby, Milk White Tactile Raised Segment Dish, 1940s-50s, Rare

This touch-inviting work of art pottery is by the internationally famous English ceramic artist and Art Director of Newport Pottery, Clarice Cliff (b. 1899 - d.1972). This particular piece comes from the Waterlily series by Cliff in 1938 with the form and hand painted décor being inspired by the flower of the same name.

The exquisitely tactile design came during a time when taste was towards heavily modelled ware. Cliff reflected this preference into the curved and lightly gathered petals, the diminutive flower buds nestled on the lily pads which cushion the flower and floating reed leaves resting on the lake surface. This design also came during the time of Cliff's successful breakthrough into international fame, where she received unprecedented publicity and when the phrase 'career woman' did not exist. 

This refined piece is an excellent representation of Cliff's innate ability to bring forth and elevate the unique qualities in something that is otherwise seemingly simple. Stylistically timeless, the combination of the design with the colour palette and its condition makes it a beautiful statement piece that is also a tangible piece of history.  

CONDITION
Excellent. There are no chips or repairs. There is a single hairline rupture on the interior of the bowl that does not affect the display or functional qualities as well as crazing to the glaze that is commensurate with the age of the piece. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the dish is stamped with Cliff's 'Clarice Cliff, NEWPORT POTTERY, ENGLAND' 

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 4.7" / 12 cm (from base to rim) Width: c. 7.9" / 20cm cm x c. 6.1" / 15.5 cm. Base measurements:: c. 8.7" / 22.2 cm x c. 6.9" / 17.5 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.1 kg / 1,080 g

NOTES
Bowl will be securely packaged and shipping insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items. 

A BIT OF HISTORY
Clarice Cliff (1899 - 1972)
Born in the city of Stoke on Trent that was made famous by its pottery in 1899, Cliff was working in one of the many factories by the time she was 13 and by the late 1920s she was designing the colourful pottery that would blossom her career. Her striking signature characteristics appeared in her use of colour, pattern and form design. Innovative and talented, she would go on to become Art Director for Newport Pottery in 1930. 

Cliff became successful and internationally famous on an unprecedented level for a woman ceramic artist despite being known for being shy. Her colourful life and unmistakable skills in design are still being celebrated in modern day. 

THE ITEM
This beautiful sculptural work of Modernist hand-blown art glass is from the Romana series by glass artist Hana Machovska for Mstisov glassworks, Czechoslovakia.

The form is gracefully undulating with soft curves, bearing a lilting Sommerso technique which draws together the different colours with the final shape being a rarer find. The colour palette is composed of a vibrant yet subtle amorphous disc of Salmon red which sits opposite the band of striking Cobalt blue, both of which is encased in a Golden amber.

This exquisite piece brings stunning elegance, a tactile form that invites touch and is also very capable of releasing dazzling refractions, as can be seen in the photos. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
CONDITION
Superb. There are no cracks or repairs. There is light wear predominantly in the form of movement marks and one chip on the underside of the base, please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report.

MEASUREMENTS
Height c. 3.2" / 8.2 cm x Length: c. 11.2" / 28.5 cm (across longest point) x Width: c. 6.9" / 17.6 cm (across the widest point). Base measurements: c. 3" / 7.6 cm x c. 1.9" / 4.8 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.7 kg / 1,746 g

NOTES
Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured.
Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
The Mstisov glassworks, originally named Eintrachthutte, was founded in 1868 by F. Fischmann & Sons. At first they made glass rods for the jewellery industry, and later expanded into tableware. Frantisek Zemek became chief designer in the 1950's, and was probably best known for his 'Rhapsody' series.
The 'Romana' series also became an iconic series of glassware for Mstisov, designed by Modernist glass artist Hana Machovska. Mstisov would go on to become part of the Borske Sklo National Corporation in 1958.

Sommerso (Literal translation 'submerged' in Italian) is the renowned Murano technique that features two or more layers of contrasting colours before a final encasing in an often clear outer layer of glass. The layers are created by dipping coloured glass into molten glass and then blowing the combination into the desired shape. Sommerso was developed in Murano during the late 1930s with master glass artists such as Flavio Poli being well-known for using this technique as well as being made popular by Seguso Vetri d'Arte and the Mandruzzato family in the 1950s.

THE ITEM

This beautiful work of Modernist sculpted art glass is designed by glass artist, designer and artist Jiří Šuhájek (b.1943 -) for Czech Crystalex Novy Bor glassworks. Šuhájek is recognised for his sculptural and contemporary glass designs which highlight colour and unique forms.

The form of this dish is softly organic yet substantial, with mildly exaggerated curves which creates multiple effects in how the glass interacts with light; from magnifying to refracting to prismatic. 

Captured within the clear glass casing of the dish and using the commonly known Sommerso technique are colours evocative of the oil paintings of Monet's Gardens. There is a marbled welling of colour towards the tip of the dish, it's shape reminiscent of a leaf or a jellyfish. The colour palette is an overlaying of opaque and translucent yellow, white and pink, the colours captured during its moments of blending and merging. 

An excellent work of art glass to complement a collection or displayed standalone for an ethereal pop of colour. 

CONDITION

Excellent. No chips or cracks. Commensurable with the age of the piece, there is negligible wear that is most prominent in movement marks and two tiny fleabites to the underside of the base. Please refer to photos as part of the condition report.

MEASUREMENTS

Height c. 2.2" / 5.5 cm x c. 6.3" / 16 cm width (across the widest point). Base diameter: c. 1.8" / 4.5 cm. Weight c. 0.9 kg / 920 g

NOTES

Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

 A BIT OF HISTORY

Jiří Šuhájek (b. 1943 -) graduated from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague in 1971 in the studio of Professor Stanislav Libenský.

Šuhájek's design is highly acclaimed at home and abroad, receiving many awards from prestigious events abroad as well as a number of major design awards from the Ministry of Industry and Design Center of the Czech Republic. He has had numerous exhibitions and is represented in art collections of major galleries and museums from England to the United States to Japan. 

During Šuhájek's career, he has held positions such as Artistic Director of BAG Glassworks at Barovier and Toso, working at Venini Glassworks as well as Designer and Artist at Moser Glassworks.

This subtly bold work of Modernist design influence is by designer and modeller Albert Hallam. The elevated and sharp Right Triangle form of this piece captures attention with its presence and difficult to avoid wherever it is displayed. The form is a superb backdrop for the contrasting glaze decor.

The interior decor is a glossy golden mustard that is not particularly loud on its own. However, when paired with the matte yet iridescent black lustre glaze on the exterior, it becomes a necessity for emphasising the sharply geometric form of the piece.

The various elements in the design bring sleek sophistication and elegance suiting a room with decor inspired by Modernist, Retro, Contemporary, or Industrial design influences. The excellent condition and design of this work are a rare find.

CONDITION
Excellent, no chips or cracks. There is mild use wear that is most evident on the underside of the feet that is commensurable with the age of the piece, please see photos as part of the condition report. The underside of the dish is debossed with 'BESWICK ENGLAND' and the model number '1985' with production period dated to between 1964 to 1972.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 3.9" / 10 cm tall (from base to rim) x c. 14.6" / 37 cm in length x c. 9" / 23 cm in width. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.1 kg / 1,071 g

A BIT OF HISTORY
Albert Hallam (b. 1912 - d. 1975/76)
Albert Hallam joined Beswick in 1926 at the age of fourteen as apprentice mould maker and in due course became the head of mould making and an important modeller in his own right. The growth of his influence followed the retirement of Arthur Gredington and Hallam was instrumental in maintaining Beswick’s high standard of modelling and figure creation.

Beswick Pottery
The Beswick firm was founded as 'J W Beswick' in 1892 by James Beswick and his sons in Staffordshire and originally produced tablewares and ornaments. The pottery was chiefly known for producing high-quality porcelain figurines such as animals and Beatrix Potter characters that have become highly sought after in the collectables market.

Following James Beswick's death in 1921, his grandson John took over and continued to expand the business. In 1934, introduced a new range of jugs, bowls and vases decorated with new matte glazes. Responding to the Modernist design influence of the time, many of these highly distinctive shapes were designed by Mr Symcox . These works were often decorated in 'satin matte' glazes using soft pastel colours running into each other or arranged in striking modern geometric blocks and lines. Beswick would go on to become known for their ceramic animal figures before being taken over by Royal Doulton in 1969 and finally closing in the early 2000's.

Though it is said these pieces will never be worth thousands, still, there is revived and growing interest in their Art Deco pieces as they survive in very good condition. They also justify Beswick's annoucement in a 1930's advertisement of "a sound body, with a brilliant, non-crazing glaze fashioned in hundreds of shapes".

NOTES
Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

This striking and romantically joyful work of handblown Japanese mid-century art glass is by the glassworks Tajima, who was known to have produced art glass under the label of Best Art Glass.

Elegant and graceful, the curves that shape the 3 lobed 'petals' creates an organic 'unfurling' from the centre. The palette is a striped arrangement of Sakura pink followed by Cobalt blue and Emerald green, handblown into a swirling pattern to create the main featured colouring of the piece. The gem-like tones vary in intensity and finish with an accent of clear glass at the base.

CONDITION
Excellent. There are no chips or cracks, only mild wear on the surface that is commensurable with age. Please refer to the photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base has a concave pontil that is a known finishing touch of Japanese art glass.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 3.1" / 7.8 cm (base to rim) Diameter: c. 7.4" / 18.8 cm (across widest point). Base diameter: c. 3.1" / 8 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1 kg / 970 g

NOTES
Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items

A BIT OF HISTORY
Tajima Glassworks
Unfortunately, little is known about Tajima Glass. However, it is known that the glass studio was founded in 1956, in Tokyo, Japan, by Matsutaro Tatsuta. They are known for coloured, textured and often mould-blown or hot-worked art glass. Tajima Glass are still operating today. The quality and style of their work are similar to other Japanese glassworks, rivalling and often mistaken for Italian Murano glass and Czech glass from the same period.

This vivid work of mid-century handblown Japanese art glass design is by Iwatsu Hineri glassworks. Glass collectors familiar with the Murano technique Sommerso (translation 'submerged) will know that this is the art of capturing segments of solid colour in clear glass.

The graceful, extending corners with one flourishing curl are a classic to Hineri interpretation of mid-century art glass, just as the capturing of the Scarlet red, Tangelo orange and Violet within the clear cased triangular base is a rival to the Sommerso technique. The interior of the dish enables a view of the swirling colours as they whirl outwards into varying intensities of colour into the extended corners.

Amongst collectors, the skill and quality applied in creating Japanese art glass is very much known to rival its Western counterparts and can often be more difficult to find. Hineri vases and 4-petalled dishes in this palette are common but the tricorn form of this piece makes it a particularly rare find. 

CONDITION
Very good. No chips and cracks to the exterior. There is negligible surface wear and a micro bruise on the underside of the base that is commensurable with age. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The concave pontil on the underside of the base is a known finishing touch of Iwatsu.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 4.6" /  11.8 cm (base to rim). Width: c. 10" / 25.5 cm (across widest point). Base measurements: c. 3.7" / 9.4 cm (across widest point). Unpackaged weight: c. 1.3 kg /  1,315 g

NOTES
Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Hineri Iwatsu Glassworks
Unfortunately, little is known about Hineri Iwatsu despite being one of the largest glassmakers in Japan, the commonly cited and understood reason is due to language barriers. However, Iwatsu is deemed to have produced art glass under the Hineri and Art Glass labels before closing in the 1990s. Iwatsu were known to have been based in Osaka in Japan, producing colourful art glass during the 1970s. The quality and style of their work rivalled and is often mistaken for, Italian Murano glass and Czech glass from the same period.