The Big Ceramic Sort Out

My love of 20th Century British Ceramics knows no bounds, especially at this time of year when every weekend I can pick up something beautiful often for just a few pence at a car boot sale. But just lately I have been drowning in pottery and it has all been haphazardly displayed gathering dust and even in dangerous peril as some items hover precariously on the edge of ledges and sills. A few weeks ago I had a moment of clarity or even an epiphany. Chanel Four's The Hoarder Next Door was playing in the corner of the room to no on in particular, but suddenly I noticed it. I can't remember the exact words of the presenter but it was along the lines of 'there is a fine but blurry line between collector and hoarder! I realised in that moment that I was teetering on the line, tilting into hoarder!

Over the past few weeks I have been battling with this realisation, I spent two days finding and listing individual precious items I was happy to part with on eBay and so far I have taken nearly £500. There is still lots to sort, I am planning to list some less valuable job lots for local dealers to bid on this week and today I found a few more lovelies to list.  My china cabinet is now looking ordered and attractive... 

Top row is my Shorter and Sons Water Lily collection from the 1940's.Today I also sorted my china cabinet, grouping together three collections which I think look splendid.

The bottom row is Carlton ware Tulip Pattern. It is quite rare as they began making it in the 1930's but stopped it with the out break of word war two.

The middle shelf is my Dolly Cliff collection. Dolly Cliff was Clarice Cliffs little sister. She was a very skilled ceramicist and she started working for Wilkinson's before her sister did. It's thought that some of her designs were given to Clarice who put her name to them. Poor Dolly, they even gave some of the staff Dolly had trained up to Clarice and eventually Clarice was sent to Art School and given her own work shop. Clarice also later married Colley Shorter the owner of Wilkinson's, perhaps that's why she did so well and Dolly didn't.

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