Classic Art Ware - Debateable origins

[islandretro]

I have been thinking about and discussing with various collectors the origins of Classic Art Ware pottery for quite some time now, and since the publication of the 2nd People's Potteries book and the attribution of the label to John Barnard Knight, and subsequently the attribution of some CAW pieces to JBK in an upcoming Australian Pottery auction, I have decided to "go public" in the hope of flushing some information, or at least informative debate out of the woodwork 🙂

As I have said else where, I don't agree with Dorothy Johnstons attribution of this label to John Barnard Knight, a Melbourne potter associated with the label Janet Grey. I, (and others, not having come to this conclusion in isolation, I have talked to various collectors), believe there is a connection with Delamere Art Pottery from Sydney; whether this was a label attached to their wares sold through a certain outlet or a range they sold themselves similarly to Diana's Hollywood or Pate's Regent labels no one is sure.







Anyway - here are some photos for you to see labels on various CAW pieces that have always been attributed to Delamere (except the Koalas which are attributed only to CAW and the frog in the 1st pic which has a Delamere sticker). Aside from this there is continuity of glaze colour, and various motifs common over CAW and Delamere attributed pieces I can post pics of as well if anyone is interested, to support this theory.

Hoping there are some other CAW/Delamere collectors reading who might have info to share

cheers
Rae

[oldworldlady]

Try it on something that you're not desperate to have first up. (Just in case something goes wrong)

[blueantiquity]

Hi everyone, I am not a pottery collector, well i wasn't until i spotted a lovely piece of Delamere, i have 5 signed pieces now.

Here is a link to view 3 of them.

[kitty-kat1234]

Blue,no link,
Please,please put the link up,we would love to see,
You will make some on here very happy!!!!!

[islandretro]

An interesting article in this months Collectables Trader magazine by Dorothy Johnston, where she reiterates her claim that John Barnard Knight produced the koala pieces often found labelled as Classic Art Ware and contends that the pieces attributed by herself to Delamere Pottery but appearing with CAW stickers may be the result of (I am quoting from Johnsons article in italics bearing in mind the allowable reproduction usage under copyright of 10% of the original article for research purposes, or criticism and review, see Australian Copyright Council Information sheet G34) "There is the possibility that a roll of CAW stickers could have been discovered in the deceased estate of someone attached to the RMIT and is being used indiscriminantly" I think this is an long bow to draw to support your ascertation about something that has to date had no concrete evidence to support it.

In the article she provides 2 photos of the large koala vase, one she attributes to CAW, the other to John Barnard Knight. Neither have any mention of how either attribution is arrived at, other than the comment that the one attributed to JBK is "wheel thrown glazed earthenware with carved relief decoration." when these pieces are slip cast with applied decoration (ie the koala and the log - also slip cast - and handmade gumnuts and gumleaves)

In the article Johnson claims, that in her 2nd book "there are koala ornaments with CAW stickers which I have now identified as not being Classic Art Ware. Original Classic Art Ware koalas did not have black on the top edge of the koalas ears." Unfortunately, Johnson gives no indication as to how she has come to this conclusion, some evidence would have been much appreciated.

However, Johnson does states : "Delamere did produce koala and gumnut pieces similar to that made by Barnard Knight but not of the same quality. As Bob Johnson said [from Delamere pottery aged in his 90's] we made our gumleaves curl up on the edge"

I was hoping, when this article was brought to my attention, that some solid evidence may have arisen, sadly, once again it appears to be just more conjecture, some of it pretty far fetched. I for one remain unconvinced of any comnection between JBK and CAW, and my gut feeling about CAW and Delamere remains as strong - you only have to have these pieces in front of you to see the glazes and the methods are the same.

I guess the question may now need to be asked though - has anyone ever seen a Delamere signature or sticker on even one of the green/burgundy mottled pieces attributed to Delamere? The only connection that comes to mind is the vase in the third pic in my original post with the CAW sticker , and the signed Delamere ones with the same shape but different glaze that were recently listed on ebay (can't find the listing to link), and the large signed koala vase, which again has a different glaze, not the green/burgundy (and no curling leaves)





Anyway, all food for thought, hope I haven't bored those of you who managed to finish this, to death!
cheers
Rae

[kitty-kat1234]

Hi Rae,good job,thanks for that.

Can i be a pain & ask please about the curling leaves?

Do you mean curled on the edges, like wavey,a kink like the above?

I think i have the pieces on my watch list,will have alook & see if i can provide list No.
BBL
cheers

[islandretro]

well Johnson quotes Bob Johnson as saying "curl up on the edge", I would take that as curling on the edges not kinking as in the last pics. However some leaves on some pieces do, some don't, I tend to think that different decorators made the leaves on different days, and that is why they are sometimes narrower and sometimes wider - these are handmade things and there is going to be small individual differences with the overall same "pattern" even if the same decorator always made the leaves and gumnuts.

cheers
Rae

[lakeland27]

memory can also be selective in its accuracy.people often remember things differently from one another. there are controversies concerning postwar racing cars too, based on recollections from 'people who were working there at the time'
some of these have proven to be wrong later, which is not saying that is the case here. good mystery rae, im sure you will solve it.

[kooriflag]

Dear me it is a great shame when people can not admit their mistakes.

Just study the pictures of the large Delamere Koala vase that Rae has put on here and then please take a look at these pieces. They are so obviously by the same pottery it is just not funny.

As for rolls of stickers....what a joke. They were never in rolls,they were supplied by the box. How do you artificially age them to match the age of the pieces that they come with? LAUGHABLE !!!

[lakeland27]

:^O:-) perhaps kinking and curling are the same thing to some folks. i wish i had a roll of stickers.

[lakeland27]

this ashtray has a similar shape to one in your pics pip (apart from the kooka and other decoration )