Ceramics and Pottery Arts and Resources

Bizarre Ware dish – Clarice Cliff

 

 

Clarice Cliff

 

 

Clarice Cliff was recognized as one of the major  Art Deco ceramics designer of the Twentieth Century and possibly the most prolific. Born in 1899, Clarice Cliff started working at the age of 13 as an apprentice enameler. In 1916 she joined A. J. Wilkinson’s Royal Staffordshire Pottery as a lithographer and eventually went on to develop a small studio in Wilkinson’s Newport Pottery, decorating traditional white-ware. Cliff was ambitious and acquired skills in modelling figurines and vases, gilding, keeping pattern books and hand painting ware: outlining, enameling, filling in colours within the outline) and banding (the radial bands on plates or vessels ). Her first original style she named ” Bizzare” and was immediately popular.

By 1929, Cliff’s team of decorators had grown to a team of around 70 young painters, mainly women (called her ‘Bizarre girls’) but also four boys – who hand painted the ware under her direction. Many of these workers were traced in the 1980s and 1990s and they totalled over 100. The Fantasque range evolved between 1928 and 1934 and mainly featured abstracts or landscapes of cottages and trees, and some Art Deco inspired patterns.

Clarice Cliff’s fame and success in the 1930s are hard to fully appreciate now, but at that time there was no such thing as ‘career women’. The publicity she received in the national press was unprecedented. Cliffs wares were exported all over the world and can still turn up in Op shops, garage sales and Bric a Brac shops.

Art Deco tea set – Clarice Cliff

 

 

Meiping Vase – Clarice Cliff

 

 

Coral Firs vase _ Clarice Cliff

circa 1933

 

 

Jazz Age teapot – Clarice Cliff

1930’s

 

 

 

Clarice Cliff jug

 

 

‘Honolulu’ Vase – Clarice Cliff

circa 1933

 

 

Conical Bowl – Clarice Cliff

 

 

Art Deco baluster vase and teapot – Clarice Cliff

 

 

Sunburst Lotus Jug by Clarice Cliff

 

 

 

Art Deco baluster vase – Clarice Cliff

 

 

 

Windbells Cup & Saucer

 

 

Clarice Cliff Vase – Sunray

ca. 1929 Burslem UK

V & A Museum

 

 

‘Picasso Flower’ vase – Clarice Cliff

 

 

Wedgwood – The Bizarre Living Landscapes of Clarice Cliff ‘Fantasque Mountain’ plate

 

 

Teacup and saucer – Clarice Cliff

Original Bizarre Clarice Cliff shape 353 vase of footed bell 1928

 

 

Wedgewood Clarice Cliff plate – ‘Windbells’

 

 

Moorland Art Deco ” Huntley Cottage ” Sugar Pot – design by Clarice Cliff

 

Clarice Cliff  ” My Garden ” footed vase

 

 

Clarice Cliff Moorland Limited Edition Sugar Sifter

 

 

Large Conical Bowl Clarice Cliff

 

 

Clarice Cliff Bizarre Orange Capri Shape Sleeve Vase

 

 

 

Clarice Cliff Art Deco vase

1933

 

 

 

‘Young Clarice Cliff’ figurine

 

 

 

Clarice Cliff vase

 

 

 

‘Orange Autumn’ Bonjour Preserve Pot – Clarice Cliff

 

 

 

Clarice Cliff

 

 

 

Bizarre ware ‘Picasso Flower’ pattern Odilon jug – Clarice Cliff

BanfordsAuctions.co.uk

 

 

 

‘Applique Blossom’ 464 shaped vase – Clarice Cliff

1931

‘Bizarre Ware’ Archaic Vase  – Clarice Cliff

 

 

 

Fantasque Sunrise pattern three piece condiment set — Clarice Cliff

Banfords Auctions.co.uk