MADE IN NEW ZEALAND... my favourite dinnerware patterns

I have been digging through my boxes in preparation for my giant Crown Lynn garage sale... yes it's time to clear out a bit of space in our shed!  Anyway, that won't be for a couple of months yet.  But it has made me think about what I like and why.  And Nirvana, perhaps surprisingly, is my all-time favourite.  It's so very New Zealand, based on our pohutukawa flowers.  And just look at the glow in that background glaze. I don't know who designed it; probably Crown Lynn's long-term in-house head of design David Jenkin.  The desert plates in my set are the plain sandy colour.

Sadly, George has not yet come round to my way of thinking on this one, so my Nirvana dinner set remains in the garage. But I won't be selling it.

Second on my list is the cool elegance of Four Seasons... and this pattern gets a bonus point because of the lovely quirky backstamp. This is one of several banded patterns which were made by spraying coloured slip (liquid clay) onto the unglazed ware then overspraying with clear glaze, which makes for a very durable finish. Other banded patterns, released around the mid-1960s, were Hacienda and Carousel.  I wish I'd gathered up more Four Seasons when it was still around. Now you never see it, at least not at prices I am prepared to pay.

And here's my all-time favourite backstamp.

Next on the list has to be Echo. Once again, I have a full dinner set in the garage and he-who-must-be-obeyed is not keen on it. Oh well, I won't be selling it so I hope my descendants like it.  Echo was designed by Mark Cleverley, newly recruited to the Crown Lynn design team and described as drawing the design with 'reckless abandon' to appeal to the 'flower power' generation. Released in 1969, it proved to be one of the best sellers ever, and is one of the most instantly recognisable Crown Lynn designs.

Then there's Apollo. Simple fluted white, durable and - unlike many dinnerware patterns - very unobtrusive to eat off. In the past couple of years, the once ubiquitous Apollo has all but disappeared from op shops... I guess I'm not the only one who appreciates it. Apollo was released in 1969, and named to commemorate the first landing on the moon.

Yucatan, designed by Robert Drake, is another favourite. The late 1960s were outstanding years for Crown Lynn design, this pattern was released in 1968, the year I got married. Uncle Graham and Auntie Pam gave us a full dinner set for a wedding present. I wish I'd kept it in its box instead of using it; now I only have a few battered relics.  The cups and bowls were plain grey.

 



By the mid-1960s, Crown Lynn was in full production, using the automated Murray Curvex machines to print in-house designs such as Yucatan and Echo. These machines used a gelatine 'bomb' - a sort of half-sphere with a jelly consistency, to transfer ink from an engraved metal plate to unglazed bisque ware. It revolutionised production, both in terms of speed and also because it gave Crown Lynn the ability to decorate flatware without the laborious hand-application of transfers.  (The popular Autumn Splendour is a well known pattern which was applied as a transfer.)

 

This pattern below is another I am very fond of - and it too is very hard to come by.  It's an earlier pattern; its "British" backstamp and the shape of the plate places it in the 1950s or very early 1960s. I love the turquoise glaze, and the simplicity.

Crown Lynn used "British" backstamps in an attempt to hoodwink New Zealand customers into believing they were buying English-made ware.

And - last but not least, this plate at first glance looks like a big brown blob, but let me tell you this is very classy. It was designed by David Jenkin and Mark Cleverley in 1977 for the Bellamy's restaurant in Parliament Buildings. The very stylish MP Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan oversaw the process, and the end result was a stylised Maori fish-hook design with an amazingly rich finish. This photo does not do it justice; in the real thing you can see rich purple shades glowing in the varied shades of brown. I have only ever found one plate, and it's another that won't be in the garage sale!

More next time.

ValM

Swans, figurines, vases... exhibition in Whangarei and a talk on 16th March

The Whangarei Art Gallery has an exceptional exhibition of Crown Lynn treasures, some mine, but mostly belonging to another big collector.

Heather and I are doing a talk about our collections and about Crown Lynn in general at 2 pm on Sunday 16 March - and afternoon tea will be served on Crown Lynn!  This is a fundraiser for the Whangarei Music Society so there will be a $15 door charge, on that afternoon only. The rest of the time the art gallery appreciates a small donation from visitors.

The Whangarei art gallery is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm. It is at the bottom end of Dent St, in the Town Basin, and it is well signposted. The exhibition runs until April 20. It is curated by Scott Pothan.

There is a huge parade of swans, including rare trickle glaze examples, and also a big family of animal figurines. Not to mention the whiteware vases! Just look at this lovely wee dog saying hello to the equally lovely - and rare - cat.  The dog is probably 1940s, the cat 1950s.

These two early swans are among my favourites.

 The small one has interesting scalloped tops to its feathers - quite different from the later version (see pic below) which is smoother around the top.  When Crown Lynn first began making swans, they were very limited in the way they decorated them. Through the 1940s, the trickle glaze (flowing glaze) technique was developed and refined until they were producing some stunning decorations. Later, from 1948, they used the white glaze which is more commonly associated with the classic Crown Lynn swan. This little white swan below, unlike most others, has a yellow beak and eyes outlined in black.

This grey swan is another very interesting example - probably my favourite at the entire exhibition. It is finished in a thinner dark grey glaze - compare with the more usual - but still rare - black swan in the background. The grey looks like a 1980s glaze but we can't be sure.

I could go on and on and on about the swans.. there are plenty more to be seen at the exhibition - but I am delighted by the animal figurines on display as well. A gorgeous line-up of bambi deer in different colours. These are also 1950s I think - or even early 1960s.  By this time Crown Lynn had become much more skilled in both modelling and glazing and these are real quality items. And quite large at about 15 cm.

Then there's an extensive array of dogs and other animals, all carefully arranged and looking just great. There is even a camel, and a goat - both very rare.

Here is a group of carnivores, all so sleek and predatory. There is no doubt that there were some very skilled modellers working at Crown Lynn. These animals aren't mine - and therein lies a sob story. I once saw a black fox on a shop counter in Waipu, inexpensive too. And I went ummm not sure, that can't be Crown Lynn. And left it there. Oh well. Someone else would have been thrilled to find it.

Another of my favourites is this very early dog. This would have been made when the little team at Ambrico were very much just feeling their way, trying to work out how to make the clay body (which is a mix of several different types of clay and other minerals), how to model the clay and how to glaze it successfully. Not to mention how to fire it. But there are quite a few of these wee dogs still around so they must have been popular. Despite its primitive form it has real life and energy. 

This bird ashtray is another early example. I have never seen another.

As I said, I could go on and on. Just look a this brilliant lineup of kiwi vases, again all trickle glazed, 1940s.

And the vases.  In the foreground is a very early kitchen bowl, also trickle glazed. At this exhibition, these items are all beautifully displayed and lit. It is a real treat to be able to closely examine the stunning colour combinations.

And there's a section of whiteware vases... what can I say?  (They are a brighter white than I show in this photo, which was taken in low light.)

This really is an exceptional exhibition, and I do recommend that you come and see it if possible. I don't imagine it will be seen anywhere else in NZ - so come to Whangarei and give yourself a treat!   And as a bonus, the gallery is also showing (for the first time in NZ ) a selection of Len Lye paintings from the 1930s and also some exceptional artwork by Graham Percy, who did a lot of work for the School Journals. 

 

I hope you can make it for the talk and afternoon tea on the 16th of March - do remember that there is a $15 cover charge for that event only.  The rest of the time the art gallery appreciates a small donation on entry.  The exhibition runs until Easter - it closes on April 20.

 

That's all for now. My next little project is to dig out some cups and saucers to serve the afternoon tea on! I have a few...

 

More soon

ValM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opshop bliss...

I have to tell you this amazing story. For years I have wanted a cigar jar, but they were always a bit too expensive for me to take the plunge. THEN just before Christmas I was in the Salvation Army shop in Whangarei, just drifting along the shelves as you do, when one was suddenly plonked down  right under my nose. The guy out the back was doing his morning distribution. I just about stopped breathing. And grabbed it quick fast before anyone else beat me to it.  This is what it looks like:

 Just so serenely beautiful. This was one of the first things that Ambrico/Crown Lynn made that's really stylish - up till then they had been battling to get shapes and glazes consistent and under control.  The backstamp is early - the star and tiki. There is a tiny crack on the lid but who would know?

It's not often that you find yourself absolutely right place right time, but this time I was.  And the next day my friends got  not one but two Last Wave treasures from the same shop - a teapot and a coffee pot. This is a Last Wave plate, designed in the 1980s by Juliette Hawkins.  They are not easy to find. And tea/coffee pots in this pattern are like hen's teeth!

Here's a link to pics of the tea and coffee pots and other Last Wave delights on the NZ Pottery website.

 

It is true that most charity shops are getting a real thrashing from collectors these days, but it's still possible to pick up treasures if you hit the right spot at the right time.  I have noticed recently that some shops are really bumping up their prices, which is fair enough for quality items - but  I don't like to see unrealistically high prices on battered and worn Crown Lynn. It does put people off.

 

Anyway. That's my little whinge for today. Most of my treasures have come from op shops, though I do buy on TradeMe if I find something I really need to have.  This lovely little dish, quite unusual, was at our local market at Onerahi. I didn't buy it and regret that now... how many times have we thought ah... I don't really need that - then been sorry later.

Oh dear.  This is turning into a rather random post but my mind is on summer pursuits - there are snapper in the harbour and delicious sun-warmed tomatoes in the garden. Anyway, here is another opshop treasure. I got the cup years ago, and the saucer recently and yay they match.

And one last random opshop find. This plate, in the Elegance pattern, is the only one I have ever found.

Now I'm going... enough aimless meanderings!  There's tomato relish to make.  I hope you are enjoying our lovely long hot summer.

Take care

ValM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another exceptional collection

When I was wandering through Dannevirke last year I stopped at the local second hand shop - of course  - and discovered an excellent collection of Crown Lynn.  Sadly you can't expect to buy these items, the owner John is not keen to sell his special pieces - but he has lots of other very interesting Crown Lynn for sale as well.  The most impressive was this Crown Lynn Mickey Mouse, complete with fraction marks on the base.

 

This is a very rare piece and did make me drool.. though I have to keep telling myself I can't have everything.. sometimes a photo is almost as good as the real thing. 

Then this seahorse wall vase really took my breath away. I think it is one of the most lovely things ever made at Crown Lynn. This is an earlier product and it's highly likely that it was designed by David Jenkin. The faint mark on the back - see picture below - dates it from the mid-1950s or the early 1960s.  It is a quality item, reflecting the fact that by the time it was made, they were much more skilled in design and reproduction.

You can see the faint Crown Lynn mark on the base of this vase in the centre, as well as the shape number.

Here is another very special vase - those fine white circles are hand-applied. There is a pic of an artist decorating in a similar style on my previous post.  This vase would have been hand potted, probably by Daniel Steenstra, most likely in the 1960s. It has the typical Crown Lynn mark on the base.

Another rather special treasure from Dannevirke is this shell. To be honest, at the time, I wasn't sure that it was Crown Lynn, but then I had a look on the New Zealand Pottery website and there it is - number 630. Crown Lynn made several different shells.  After Crown Lynn closed, this shape was also made by Studio Ceramics, in white.

If you saw this rather odd decoration, you wouldn't necessarily think of Crown Lynn, but indeed it is, number 555. Its only purpose is decorative; it's not even a vase. You just hang it on the wall and look at it. Hmmmm not to my taste, but very special nonetheless.

Likewise, it took me a while to realise that Crown Lynn also made swallows - remember those three birds on a wall which used to be everywhere and now they're rare and collectable.

The number on the base caused me a few problems. I thought it was 199 and couldn't find any reference to it on the website - till helpful Ev pointed out that if I looked at it from a different angle, the number was 561.  Then... another lovely person pointed out that this is definitely a Crown Lynn swallow, as it has a slot in the side of the hole on the base to ensure that when you hang it on a nail on the wall it sits at the right angle. Wonderful.. I didn't know that till today. Here is the full discussion on swallows from the NZ Pottery site.

John also showed me a very lovely early vase. This is number 69, again it has fraction marks indicating that the makers were experimenting with the glaze and/or the clay body.

 

The last item from my Dannevirke photos is this little - um - vase I guess you'd call it. This shape and others like it are fairly common because they were often handed out as promotional gifts by various businesses. I have included it because of its colour.  I have a similar one in an equally bright mauve/purple and you also see it in pink. A friend has one where the bricks are artistically painted in brick-like colours.  Most of Crown Lynn's decorations are more muted, it's nice to see something bright now and then.  

More soon - it won't be such a long break next time, now we are back at home and being serious about life again after a lovely few weeks camping, fishing, etc etc.

Take care

ValM  

In memory of Ray and Eileen Machin

Just look at this gorgeous vase. It was made at Crown Lynn in the 1960s and it still looks fresh and modern today. The vase was made by Daniel Steenstra and hand decorated by Eileen Machin.

When I was researching my first book I spent a lot of time with Eileen and her husband Ray. Both these lovely people have since died and this post is to acknowledge their contribution to Crown Lynn. 

Ray and Eileen arrived in Auckland in 1959, the day before the harbour bridge opened. At that time Tom Clark was recruiting specialists from English potteries to boost the quality of Crown Lynn's products. Ray was a mould maker from J & G Meakin;  Eileen a hand decorator - or 'paintress' as she referred to herself - from Johnson Brothers. 

Ray told me that it took seven years training to be a mould maker in England. "You started off getting everyone's afternoon tea, then slowly you would work up to being on the bench." When he started work at Crown Lynn Ray introduced new moulding techniques, improving quality and productivity. Very soon Tom Clark asked him to manage the mould room.

Here are Ray and Eileen at work at Crown Lynn, from a company newsletter in  September 1964.



And this is Eileen when I met her, with her three favourite vases (the blue one behind her in the background is not Crown Lynn.)

Sometimes Eileen's work is attributed to Frank Carpay - she told me a story about a dealer insisting one of her vases was a Carpay - but his work carries the distinctive 'Handwerk' mark on the base, while Eileen's is usually backstamped 'Hand Crafted' - very occasionally with her initials.

Most of the vases Eileen - and others - decorated were hand potted by Daniel Steenstra. To complicate matters, this one (below) looks like an Ernest Shufflebotham style but as far as I have been able to ascertain, he left Crown Lynn in 1956, before the Machins arrived. Anyway - each of these blue leaves was hand painted by Eileen, with careful shading of the colour.

For the vase below, Eileen applied the little flowers with a stamp, then hand coloured them. The silver was also hand applied.  

These lovely photos were taken by Studio Lagonda for my first book. 

 

The vases below are from an old auction catalogue. Eileen recalled that each was put on a small turntable and spun around, using a brush to apply the concentric lines.  For the vase on the right, paper stickers were applied to create blank dots as she applied the lines. Once the lines had been competed the paper was removed and the blank dots decorated with a brush. 

Here is a photo - from a March 1963 newsletter - of a painter decorating what looks like a lamp base  while a supervisor examines her work.

Ray and Eileen told me that Crown Lynn was very social in the 1960s and 1970s. The mould room boys used to hire a boat and go fishing on the Kaipara Harbour in the weekends, catching heaps of fish. And, said Eileen, "we went to the Crown Lynn balls all dressed up and when we got there we used to all say snap because we all got the same dresses from this little shop in New Lynn and we all had to go to the same hairdresser."   

 

After a few years Eileen left Crown Lynn and worked in a shoe shop - she enjoyed the break from the pottery business. Ray stayed on to the end, and helped package up the machinery when the factory finally closed. Here is a plate which was made to commemorate the last meeting of the Service Club - there were awards for working at the pottery for 20 years or longer. This plate is signed by all the club members on 24 May, 1989, at the time when the factory was closing. 

 and the other side..

More soon

Happy collecting!

Val Monk