The ceramic designs of Clarice Cliff are some of the most striking and collectable that have been produced in the 20th century.
Bold and uncompromising, embellished in strident primary colours, they were a sensation when they appeared in the 1920s, capturing the mood of the Art Deco movement. Her tea services were as sought after when they were produced as they are today. A cup and saucer of her most collected designs can command a high price in a demanding market.
This charming book gives a fascinating memoir of the life and work of the working-class girl who rose from apprentice to designer and became the first woman Art Director in the Potteries. When in 1927, she had the chance to decorate leftover stock of old-fashioned ware, she threw away the rule book and launched her hugely popular 'Bizarre ware' and her own frantic career. With the encouragement of her mentor, Colley Shorter, she established her own team of sixty paintresses at her studio and decorating shop at Newport Pottery, her 'Bizarre Girls' who executed her zany designs. Her innovative Art Deco shapes found an enthusiastic market for the next ten years.
'Taking Tea With Clarice' captures the mood of the Art Deco era and illustrates the style and range of Clarice Cliff's work in china tea-services, providing a directory of designs and shapes.
