Clarice Cliff
Clarice Cliff has become one of the most famous names associated with art deco pottery. Television antique shows seem to have played a major part in this.
Here is a brief history of Clarice Cliff.
Clarice Cliff was born in Tunstall in 1899 and started work at the age of 13, she worked as a gilder in the pottery industry. Once mastering the craft she became a painter for another pottery company whilst spending her evenings attending the burslem school of art studying art and sculpture.
She continued her skills at A.J.Wilkinson in Newport where her ambitions became obvious as she continued to build her skills in every part of the pottery process. Her ambitions were quickly noticed by the owners Guy and Colley Shorter. Colley nurtured her skills and also became her husband despite being seventeen years older.
After working as a modeller at A.J.Wilkinsons she was given her own studio at newport where she used her skills to paint white defective pottery in her own freehand style. She used on-glaze enamel which gave a brighter palette than the normal under-glaze products.
Clarice Cliff’s first works were simply called Bizarre where she covered imperfections with simple triangle patterns usually in a rust colour. The pottery would have a simple stamp on the base saying Newport Pottery, this was the turning point for Clarice Cliff as it became an immediate hit with retailers.
The Bizarre range became an umberella for her entire range and the original pieces became known as original Bizarre.
Cliff’s use of vivid colours and shapes was a huge hit and by 1929 she had a team of about 70 painters working with her. These were mainly women and affectionately became known as “the bizarre girls”.
By 1930 Cliff had been appointed as Art Director to both Newport pottery and A.J.Wilkinson. Her ability to to use both patterns and shapes was unique in staffordshire potteries of the time. Her wares were so popular that they managed to sell all over the world during the depression. Europe was one of the few places where her wares began to reduce in sales with fewer stores selling them.
During world war II the wartime regulations stated that only white pottery was to be used, known as conservative ware this was to be continued after the war was over leaving Clarice to tend to her large garden. Although pottery was sold under the Cliff name up to 1968 she had little input into the artistic style and just input into the shapes of the pottery.
Clarice Cliff passed away in october 1972 after becoming a recluse since the death of her husband in 1963.
Just before her death an exhibition was held in Brighton, Set up by enthusiastic collectors Clarice refused an invitation to the opening of the event but did reluctantly provided comments for the catalogue.
1982 saw the formation of the “Clarice Cliff collectors club” who promoted her wares all over the world. The club contacted some of the original “Bizarre girls” who helped promote the Clarice Cliff wares on radio and television.
Wedgewood eventually owned the Clarice Cliff name and produced reproductions between 1992 and 2002. These pieces were high quality reproductions aimed at people who could not afford original pieces.
Today, despite the recent recession Clarice Cliff pottery will exchange hands for large amounts of money.