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Hornsea pages

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Hornsea developed a technically-advanced, unglazed stoneware body ('Vitramic') hardened by high-temperature firing and mechanical polishing. Decorative areas are glazed. All ranges below are much less common than the best-selling Contrast range, also in Vitramic. The word 'Lancaster' on the backstamp refers to the new factory that Hornsea moved to in the mid-70s. See Heckford's book Hornsea Pottery for more information.

Miscellaneous

The Heckford book - for the most part a materpiece - is quite difficult to follow when it comes to the 1980s. A number of ranges are unlisted, not illustrated, or are incompletely described.

Romantic jug and sucrier
This wonderful pale lilac jug has the word ROMANTIC in the backstamp. It is in the CONCORD body shape of 1976-80 (also used for EBONY). The backstamp is not completely applied and so I can only read a date code of c. 1976-8. The fllatware had the same lilac border, with a simple grid and crosses pattern on a pale beige ground. Unused condition. Please email me me if you know anything about this range as I can't find it in the Heckford book. Value: £5-10

Pair of cruets
I presume these are cruets without lids. Seen in several patterns, usually with dates from the late 1970s, or undated. The decoration is in gilt. They appear unused. One has a small manufacturing dent, presumably in the wet clay, on the foot rim. The ornate pattern has a different backstamp (right, top) from the circles pattern (right, bottom). Both have the date or date code for 1978. The circles pattern is seen on the geometric cruet range of 1971 but on a yellow body. These pieces could be part of the range of cruets listed on page 183 of Heckford's book under the heading 'cruets 1977-78'. Value: £4

Fish pattern pepper pot (1977)
With gold plastic lid. Brown body with pale lilac-grey screen print of the John Clappison fish design first used on mugs between (1968-70). Scarce, and in mint condition, the cap slightly loose. Value: £10-15 (single item).

Pink jug
Anyone have a clue what this is? Please email me. Entwined doves logo. Value: £ not much.

Lovemugs (1976-81)
Designed by Ken Townsend and marketed as Young Lovers Mugs in the USA. This one is for March, and is backstamped 1977. Value: varies enormously, depending on who happens to be looking for a particular month at any given time. Mugs in this series can fetch anything from £3-30.

Focus

Is this an unlisted pattern? Please email me if you know.

Mug
This doesn't happen very often. I emailed the seller, who had listed this mug on eBay, to ask about postal charges. Back came the email: "I am not willing to sell this to you" Oh dear. But then the message went on to say that she was going to give the mug to me free, and ship it to me at her expense - because she likes the website. What a nice person. By the way, she trades under the eBay name of angiesbiro. Thanks, Angela. This is a really nice piece, with a very faint white Lancaster Vitramic backstamp that reads FOCUS and has date dots that I can't make out.

A collector kindly sends me this photo of a grey version of Focus. He bought in 1982 at Debenhams for around £1 as a second.

Set of 4 mugs (Focus and Floret)
The white and brown Focus mug is in a gloss glaze, the others are matt. The Brown mug has a floral pattern and a FLORET backstamp. Value: 10 the set.

Contour (1980)

Contour and Sienna (below) are all beautiful, but not-so-common pattern variants on the Contrast body shape (designed 1974 by Martin Hunt).

Sucrier
A few surface marks but no damage. Value: £5

Cinnamon (1980)

Cinnamon and Ebony (below) used the Concord body shape designed by Martin Hunt (c. 1976). This body shape is less curvaceous than contrast. The name might have been influenced by the Concorde aircraft that had its first commercial flights in 1976.

Teapot
With wooden handle. One of my favourite pieces, and in absolutely pristine condition. Value: £7-15

Biscuit jar
With wooden lid. Mint condition. Value: £5-7.50

Coffee storage jar
With wooden lid. Mint condition. Value: £6

Ramekins
With vertical ribbing. Value: £2-4

Coral (1980)

Jug and sucrier
In a 'pink' - or rather, a milky coffee with a hint of pink. Mint condition. Value: £2-5 (pair)

Tundra and Roundel (1980)

This range of plant pots is rare.

Tundra Plant pot
Mint condition except for a scratch to the patterned glaze. Value: £7-15

Roundel Plant pot
Mint condition. Value: £15-20

Roundel-like vase
Unrecorded vase with traces of banding visible under the cream matt glaze. A pattern resembling the seed heads of shepheard's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is applied in brown. Value: £5-10

Roseate
Unrecorded vase, rather like tundra but with a slightly reddish tinge, giving it a warmer glow. £5-10

Roseate
Plant pot. £5-10

Hornsea pages

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