Local Heroes

Clarice Cliff . . . sound familiar? For those of you not in the know, Clarice Cliff is a Potteries born and bred artist whose popular Art Deco designs of the 1930's are fetching huge amounts of cash at auction. 

One of the rarer pieces was sold for £40,000 recently. This could be the time to check your attics...

Early skill

Clarice Cliff was born in 1899 in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent - the fourth of eight children. She showed early skill in art, and recalled enjoying art lessons at school. 

At 13 she began work as an apprentice enameller. A few years later she moved to A J Wilkinson’s, where her flair for art was picked up. 

In 1927 she was sent for six months to the Royal College of Art in Kensington, and when she returned she was given a studio and assistants. 

Experimental series

In 1928 an experimental series was produced, organised by Colley Shorter, using modern geometric shapes and bold colours. Called 'Bizarre Ware', it was an instant hit! 

In 1930 she was made Art Director of the company, and by 1931 she was overseeing 1000 workers, including her team of all female painters who were called The Bizarre Girls. 

Changing fashions

In the 1930s the business expanded as demand for Clarice Cliff china increased, and patterns varied to suit changing fashions. Her designs were copied all over the world in her heyday, as far afield as Japan. 

In 1940 Clarice married Colley Shorter, the Managing Director of the firm. They travelled extensively, trying to promote A J Wilkinson goods throughout the wartime restrictions on pottery production, and so she designed less herself. 

 No successor

In 1961 Colley became ill, and he died two years later. Clarice decided to retire, and sold the company, leaving no successor. 

She was acknowledged by the Minneapolis Institute of Art in 1971 as an influential Art Deco artist, and in 1972 she died in her own home, where she was discovered by her gardener as she listened to the radio.

Key Dates:

• 1899 - born in Tunstall
• 1912 - first began work in the pottery industry
• 1927/28 - first series of pottery called Bizarre Ware produced
• 1930 - became Art Director of A J Wilkinson’s
• 1940 - married Colley Shorter, Managing Director of A J Wilkinson’s
• 1963 - retired after she became a widow
• 1972 - died at home

Have you got something to say about about Clarice Cliff's designs? Perhaps you'd like to talk about another local hero or heroine...

Check out our message board and add your comments by clicking on the link below.

NOTE:

All images courtesy of the official The Clarice Cliff Collectors Club. Do not use images without explicit permission from their webmaster at: www.claricecliff.com