20th Century Australian Pottery – A Single Collection
During the early to mid-20th century, Australia developed a thriving craft & design industry, with potters, furniture makers and designers responding to international trends but also incorporating materials, motifs and techniques unique to Australia. Pottery excelled during this period – with the emergence of household-name makers including Bendigo Pottery, John Campbell, John McHugh, Mashman Bros, the Boyd family, Fowler and Lithgow Pottery.
Many of those makers feature in this fine collection of 20th century Australian Pottery, compiled from the 1970s onwards. Below are a few words from the vendor – as well as collection highlights.
The Legacy of a Sydney Collector
“The collector of this impressive array of early and mid-twentieth century Australian pottery began his journey in the 1970s. Over a 25-year period, he built his collection of decorative domestic ware with a truly Australian flavour. Since his passing in 2007, I have been the custodian of these hidden treasures, not seen in the market for decades.
“Born in Sydney, and travelling to Britain in the late 1960s, the collector returned to Australia in 1970, where his enthusiasm for Australian-made and decorated arts and crafts grew. He discovered, along with an emerging group of like-minded enthusiasts, that these previously overlooked treasures of Australiana could be found at Op Shops, country markets and estate auctions.
“At his antique store in Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, he sold Australian art, ephemera and furniture, but his primary passion was with the beautiful glazes and designs of Australian pottery.”
Pictured: A John Campbell (1931-1964) Glazed Earthenware Pottery Jardinière, 1935
A Boom in Australian Pottery
“The 1970s saw the burgeoning recognition of Australian arts, crafts and furniture in the field of collecting. There was nostalgia for home-grown motifs and everyday kitchen items from the 1940s and ‘50s.
“This fresh appreciation of the aesthetic, cultural and economic value of Australian wares saw the creation of The Australiana Society in 1978. Pioneering collectors such as Marjorie Graham raised awareness of Australian pottery through her exhaustive research and publications. Several items in this collection were purchased from the Marjorie Graham estate auction in 1994, and still have her detailed notes attached.
“The Australian Pottery Museum had its origins in the 1970s, and antique dealers turned their attention to Australian ceramics during this period, producing reference books. Cultural institutions such as the National Gallery of Victoria added Australian decorative arts to their collections. Regional Art Centres and Historical Societies recorded the significance of local potteries and artists.
“The 1920s saw the rising depiction of Australia’s unique flora and fauna on utilitarian household objects. Motifs such as gumnuts and leaves, kangaroos and koalas appealed to both the domestic and tourist markets.
“In the 1930s and ‘40s brick, tile and plumbing companies such as Fowler and Bendigo included decorative wares for the home in their catalogues during the Depression.
“Studio art pottery, modernist ceramics, brightly coloured glazes and mass-produced items from Japan gained popularity in the more affluent 1960s, and pieces from the war years were considered dated. That is, until the 1970s, when Australia’s unique and significant contributions were re-evaluated.”
Pictured: A Melrose Ware, Australia Green Glazed Jardiniere with Gum Leaf Motifs
Collection Highlights
This outstanding collection features examples from leading Australian potters – Melrose, John McHugh, John Campbell, Mashman Bros, the Boyd family, Bendigo Pottery, Pates Potteries and Bakewell Brothers – plus Art Deco figures and vessels, and a small collection of international wares.
The selection includes decorative wares and domestic items – kitchen storage cannisters, teapots, jugs, bread crocks, Bakewell mixing bowls, Bendigo tea sets and Fowler ginger beer bottles.
There is a good selection from John Campbell (1857-1928), a New Zealand born potter who trained at the Bendigo Pottery and co-founded The Jory and Campbell Steam Brick Works after moving to Launceston in 1880. He purchased the Launceston Steam Brick, Pipe, Tile and Pottery Works the following year, changed the name, and developed it into Tasmania’s largest pottery, exhibiting internationally and winning several awards. Both Campbell and fellow potter, John McHugh (also featured) had thriving Tasmanian potteries, with heydays in the 1920s.
Women artists also feature, including delicate wares hand painted by Daisy Merton (1889-1972), a potter for Bakewells Pottery during the 1930s and 1940s. The Newtone range is the most highly sought after of the Bakewell pieces, with her hand painted and signed pots featuring Australian landscapes, animals and flora.
Other highlights – domestic Lithgow pottery wares (the company ceased production of domestic products in 1907), Regal Mashman glazed earthenware, Art Deco and Melrose Ware Jardinières, Bendigo Pottery tea ware, and mid-century studio pottery by Martin Boyd.
Pictured: A Daisy Merton, Newtone Pottery, Sydney Gum Blossom Vase, c.1930
A Beautiful Collection at Auction
A Single Collection of Australian 20th Century Pottery
Wednesday 21 January | 6pm
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Theodore Bruce Auctioneers regularly offers antique & vintage pottery in our Decorative Arts auction and single vendor collections.
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Pictured: Five Martin Boyd, Australia Studio Pottery Pastel Glazed Ceramic Ramekins, 1950
