Product Description

Over 2,000 patterns and pieces by ceramicist Clarice Cliff and her colleagues at the Wilkinson Pottery: the most complete guide ever published to Cliff's colorful, delightful, and highly collectible work.

The dazzling ceramics of Clarice Cliff and the Wilkinson Pottery, which first encouraged her work in the 1920s, are among the most popular collectibles from the twentieth century. Ever since the exuberant colors and bold shapes of Cliff's classic Art Deco pieces first caught the imagination of collectors, auction prices have moved inexorably upwards, reaching over $50,000 for a single item. Now, after years of research, both in the Wilkinson archives and through the oral testimonies of surviving employees, Greg Slater has produced the first comprehensive survey of the work of Clarice Cliff and her largely uncredited colleagues at the Wilkinson Pottery from the 1920s to the 1950s.

This massive reference work identifies the origin, name, designer, date, and decoration method of all the significant pieces. Accessible through three indexes—pattern name, number, and backstamp—the book is organized by pattern (including groups assigned by the Wilkinson Pottery and recognizable themes) and also by shape (an instant identifier for ceramics without a backstamp).

More than 2,000 illustrations plus a history, bibliography, glossary, and collectors' guide ensure that this will be the definitive book on the subject for generations to come. Over 2,000 illustrations, 1,384 in color.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1076529 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

About the Author
Greg Slater is editor of the magazine for Clarice Cliff collectors, The Agora. Together with an editorial board of Cliff experts—Jonathan Brough, Neil Mitchell, and Richard Ansell—he has conducted the most detailed research ever made into the output of Clarice Cliff and the Wilkinson Pottery.

Customer Reviews

Penultimately Clarice..
I have recently purchased this book as when I wrote my first review I was a bookshop browser.I agree with other writers that this book is not comprehensive as to listing all patterns.But hey that is easily fixed up with a few more pictures.However in terms of what is attempts to do..listing shapes and patterns it does a splendid job.Those reviewers that compare this with thin guides to Queen Clarice must be kidding themselves...this book is a mammoth effort and a true labour of love. There is no other book like it in terms of its scale and quality. It happily puts Clarice's work into the context of the contemporary and later production of the Wilkinson factory. Collectors do yourself a favour and buy this buy..especially now that's its so cheap on Amazon.The photos are terrific and are much better than looking at the mini versions in the Christies catalogue.This a book that definetly needs more applause than it has received and is not to be overlooked by the educated or about to be educated collector!!

Superb Reference at a Reasonable Price
I find this book to be an incredibly valuable and easy to use reference to Clarice Cliff and Wilkinson pottery. It is 'comprehensive' and so far I haven't been stumped by a pattern that I couldn't find an example of in the book. The background information is comprehensive as well and I can now put shapes and styles into an overall perspective easily without having to browse through 20 difference catalogues and books. In the last 12 years I have purchased every book on Clarice Cliff that I could and they pale into insignificance in comparison with this. The information is not a repeat of other guides available and, in my opinion, the indexing and browsing references are so good that this book should win an award. I eagerly await any further publications by this author. I also think that the price for this book was very reasonable and about half what other references of the same calibre cost.

Claricce Cliff
One of the most definitive pictorial and historical records packaged in a very handsome, large volume.