Puzzling Pieces
Below are a selection of photographs of unidentified pieces and we would be grateful for any contributions to help to identify these pieces. There is a comments section at the bottom of the page for this purpose.
Pieces shown without backstamps are without backstamps or we do not hold the images.
In assembling a “Virtual Museum” of a member’s collection, there are items which could not be easily identified and are posted for help with attribution
You can also submit your own photographs to be listed here for identification help
If you wish to send us images, it may be easier and quicker to do so on our Facebook page:
www.Facebook.com/ScottishPottery
You can also use the form on our Contact Us page. Let us know you have images to send and we will reply, allowing you to upload images via email.
This plate pattern is called ‘The Font’ it is shown on page 150 of Scottish Ceramics by Henry E Kelly it was made at Rathbones Pottery in Portobello. I have one of these plates complete with pattern name and maker’s mark. It is a copy of a Spode Pottery pattern.
The Fisher Wives – Please see page 72 SPHR 27. This model figure of a Hebridean Peat Lady was made by Marjorie Maclennan who started the Coll Pottery on the Island of Lewis in the late 1960s.
The jug with the Wellington transfer print is listed on page 189 of Scottish Ceramics by Henry E Kelly. It was made by the Verreville Pottery and issued after Wellington’s death in 1852. A photograph of the jug is on the old SPS website and is shown as being made at Verreville Pottery.
Jug – pattern ‘Water Lily’ was made at the Annfield Pottery it is shown in plate 3.16 page 16 of Scottish Ceramics by Henry E Kelly
Thanks Robin. Have updated those accordingly.
I have researched the “No 790” on the Masonic jug and it returns to:
St Gilbert No.790 ==
Masonic Hall
Bridge Street
Dornoch
IV25 3SQ
and it was founded in 1893 which perhaps narrows the search – assuming no mark on the base?
No mark on base, It’s pearlware early C19th and am pretty sure made in the Staffordshire pottery region. Will have to research more on history of lodges.
The ‘Highland Dance’ jug on the top line of this page (puzzling pieces) is very distinctive with a moulded band around near the top of the jug. In ‘Scottish Ceramics’, page 191, this similar banded jug appears as under the Verreville Pottery tag and also appears on your own Verreville Pottery page.
No. 8 looks to me like Japanese ware with stencilling and wash although it is hard to tell from the photo. Number nine is very similar to an unmarked plate I have which was identified for me as Spode circa 1830. Again, the photo is not sharp enough to make a close comparison but it certainly a version of the same pattern.
I like the new layout of the website.
HANDS – Gordon Highlander’s Finial
Having been once the owner of these fine pieces, I feel I should record what I know (or don’t know) about them.
They were sold at Ingliston Antique Fair in late 2004 or early 2005 by a dealer and were then offered for sale in April 2005 by Leyburn Auction House, Yorkshire, where I bought them. The catalogue described them as being a ” Pair of pottery hands and head spirit flasks, relating to the 92nd. Gordon Highlanders. 19th cent. Possibly Seton Pottery Aberdeen”. As there was a firing crack in one of them (making it impossible to hold liquid) and the holes at the head of both were irregular in shape (making them unsuitable for corks), I was dubious about the assertion that they were spirit flasks.
Enquiries made revealed that the Ingliston dealer had bought them privately from a seller in the Inverurie area and a visit to the Gordon Highlander’s Museum in Aberdeen revealed that the style of cap on the heads was worn by the regiment prior to 1881. I showed the hands to Graeme Cruikshanks and he was doubtful that they had been made by Seaton Pottery as the glaze colour was lighter than what was produced there.
It was noted that the colour of the glaze was similar to some pottery pieces made by Dryleys Pottery, Montrose and on going to Montrose Museum I found that they could not positively identify them as being from Montrose either. They were able to tell me however that Col. Renny Tailyour, the owner of the estate, where Dryley’s Pottery stood, served in India with the Bengal Engineers. The Gordon Highlanders also served in India at this time.
It should be noted that in 1885 Dryleys was taken over by Seaton Brickworks of Aberdeen.
In conclusion I was not able to positively identify the pottery but felt that the balance of probability leant towards the likelihood of them being made in Dryleys Pottery Montrose.