Westbank Antiques

Description

Wonderful Della Robbia pottery vase by Lizzie Wilkins
Dated 1896
Of typical Arts & Crafts form.


The Della Robbia pottery was started by the artist Harold Rathbone and sculptor Conrad Dressler. Rathbone had been impressed by the pottery made in Italy by the 16th century family of the sculptor Luca Della Robbia, and wanted the new enterprise at Birkenhead to emulate the old Italian wares, within the working principals of the arts and crafts movement.

The new venture received encouragement from many notable artists of the day - Holman Hunt, G.F. Watts, Lawrence Alma-Tadema,Lord Leighton, Walter Crane, and latterly William Morris.

The pottery attracted ceramic artists and decorators, and employed students from various art schools. From the very beginning all were encouraged to experiment with different patterns and colours using their own designs. A brown clay body was used then covered with a thin layer of cream slip, the decorators then scratched through the masking layer to reveal thin brown lines. This defined the pattern and raised tiny walls of clay to contain the applied enamels and glazes, in an imitation of Italian maiolica. Rathbone took an active role in modelling and designing as well as directing the artistic activities of his staff, the edition of the very talented Carlo Manzoni in 1898 greatly added to the different products which could be produced, reaching a peak in production between 1900 and 1903. Unfortunately Rathbone was not a business man, and could be rather erratic in his behaviour, there was a lack of technical knowledge at the pottery which was never resolved making the wares expensive. Unfortunately the business was not helped by the poor economic conditions of the day and the pottery was forced to close in 1906.

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