colin and jills clarice cliff

Clarice Cliff

Clarice Cliff (1899-1972) is probably the best-known English designer of Art Deco ceramics. After leaving school at 13 and working for several Staffordshire pottery firms, she joined A.J. Wilkinson Ltd in 1916. In 1920 the company acquired Newport Pottery, and Cliff was given a free hand with the stock of white ware acquired. Her bright coloured, geometric patterns were launched in 1928, as cheerful, inexpensive domestic pottery. This proved hugely successful and popular and was in complete contrast to what had gone before. This was the starting point of the vast array of shapes and designs that Cliff went on to produce.

Backstamps

Firstly, note that stamped marks were made with a rubber stamp, speedily applied to ware, so the letters are often irregular with parts missing or 'blobby'. Printed marks (also referred to as lithograph marks) are much finer and regular. They were produced on tissue paper that was stuck on the ware, so they could not be smudged, but sometimes, as they were cut from a sheet, an edge is cut through. Throughout the period 1928 to 1936, both stamped and printed Bizarre marks were applied on-glaze.

Between 1922 and 1927 the Newport Pottery and Wilkinson marks were classical in style with a rampant lion and crown, above a ribbon with 'Royal Staffordshire Pottery' or 'Newport Pottery’. When Bizarre ware revolutionized Newport Pottery the 'Lion' mark soon disappeared but it continued to be used at Wilkinson's for several years. After the hand-painted Bizarre mark in rust colour, the first stamped mark was the classic Hand Painted Bizarre by Clarice Cliff Newport Pottery, which was stamped in black, in two sizes: it was used from late 1927 or early 1928.

In October 1928 the first Fantasque script mark appeared although briefly this was produced in gilt, crediting 'Newport Pottery'. Script marks were also used for Delecia and Moderne. Stamped marks continued to be used in 1929 and 1930, but the style of the Fantasque one evolved with Fantasque then in block letters, above a Bizarre logo, when Colley made Bizarre the umbrella title for all Clarice's ranges.

More elaborate backstamps were issued crediting tile range name in block letters above a standard Bizarre mark, and these included Crocus and Gayday. However, at the same time many ranges or designs such as Latona, Appliqué' and Inspiration, just had the name painted above a standard Bizarre mark. Then, from 1931 as the ranges were formalized, a finer printed backstamp appeared. Variations included Fantasque, Crocus, Latona, Gayday, Cafe'-au-lait, and Nuage. These credited Newport Pottery and had a Bizarre mark with the range name above in block letters. Simultaneously, a stamped Bizarre mark continued to be used which credited Wilkinson's. Elaborate printed backstamps were also used for the Artist in Industry pieces in 1933 and 1934.