Pretty and refined pair of small serving tureens. They have a well-proportioned square shape typical of Art Deco, pretty floral decorations on the lid and body help to lighten the rigidity of the form; the rim and knob are decorated in pure gold. On the bottom is the maker's mark, the famous Arthur J. Wilkinson Firm located on Newport Lane in Burslem, near Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire County, an ancient locality famous for pottery and porcelain production. From the mark we can accurately identify the year of production of the two tureens: 1947. In 1881 the old Central factories in Burslem passed into the hands of Wilkinson & Hulme; in 1885 Hulme retired from the business and Arthur J. Wilkinson continued alone; AJ Wilkinson was the brother-in-law of Arthur Shorter, a partner in the Shorter & Boulton pottery firm. In 1891 AJ Wilkinson died in an accident and Arthur Shorter was asked to run AJ Wilkinson Pottery in Burslem, the name AJ Wilkinson was retained. Around 1896 the company takes over the Royal Staffordshire Pottery, Burslem, and soon leaves the old central plants. A few years later Shorter buys the company, and at that time, in 1898, Arthur's son Colley joins him. His younger son Guy, who becomes manager of Shorter's in 1900, joins his father and Colley from Wilkinson's in 1905. Colley and Guy Shorter are named manager of Wilkinsons in 1916. Also in 1916, at the age of 17, Clarice Cliff (who becomes the famous "Bizarre Ware" cartoonist) begins working at Wilkinson's-she previously worked for Hollinshead & Kirkham. In 1928 hand-painted Bizarre Ware was launched. With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, creative production at the factory ceases as much of the workforce is drafted into the armed forces. Wartime restrictions on ceramic decoration continue and production declines dramatically, but Wilkinson's equally maintains a high quality of products. In 1964 Colley Shorter dies. Clarice Cliff-Shorter sells the family shares to nearby Midwinter Co. and thus Wilkinson's ceases to exist. In 2021 the magnificent story of Wilkinson's and revolutionary potter Clarice Cliff, an early exponent of Art Deco, is told in the film "The Colour Room" directed by Claire McCarthy.
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SILVER Seller in Prato, Italy
