Clay Craft ....

Claycraft was also in Rosebank Road, Avondale

Photo from hon-john...

Hi everyone, I am very new to forums, but for my first I could not have picked a better one I think. I have a group of cups, mugs, jugs, side plates and even a gravy boat and saucer. but the only mark I can see on some of them is Clay Craft New Zealand. I have been unable to find anything on this mark at all.
If needed I could take a photo. but I am interested in knowing more about them.. and if there are any more pieces anywhere... I have been looking on trademe and other sites but still nothing. If anyone has any information it would greatly appericated.

Greetings

From an expired TradeMe Claycraft listing (364083694): an Auckland based company which grew out of "Kiln Craft" which was formerly "Beech Artware" run by Peter Beech, who had worked at Crown Lynn in the glaze laboratory. See listing 300082135 also

And from here: http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t191-clay-craft

Happy hunting.

While checking out some old Yellow Pages today, I noticed Claycraft Potteries 1984 Ltd at 22 Honan Place Avondale from 1983 to 1987.
[One listing was written as Clay Craft which is what is on the bottom of a casserole that I have.]

I noticed a listing for Kiln Craft Potteries in 1979 and overlooked the address!

Also interesting to note that Beach Artware was listed at 2a Rabone St Henderson from 1975 to 1978 and the Managing Director was P.J. Beach 16 Woodruffe Ave, Henderson.

Thanks to your post kiwicefa and Tony's ... these Potteries jumped out at me
Delightful to see a connection between these Potteries.

thankyou both the the information, I will keep looking as it would be nice to increase my little collection

Val gave a talk to the Whangarei Antiques and Collectors Club on Wednesday 21st August. This came about following a comment by Ev on Val's blog about my Cook and Serve topic here.

Members and guests were invited to bring their own pieces to show. It was a great evening. Kat was there but Heather couldn't make it.

Amongst the items brought by guests was an octagonal tureen in white with an ill-fitting lid and no clear marking, thought to be a Crown Lynn sample. Turns out it was Clay Craft. I found the same item in cobalt blue on trademe "Dark Blue Clay Craft Pot - Made in NZ " (listing expired at the moment):

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=627682283

There are a few other items on the go at the moment (Search "Clay Craft" etc).

Also found a "Large glazed pottery cookie jar container cork lid" which must be their's as well:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=629749264

along with a lovely pair of duos:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/pottery-glass/porcelain-pottery/other-nz-manufacturers/auction-629539229.htm

That makes three items showing a strong use of the octagonal form. A search of octagon/octagonal gave no further results (amazing how many people describe octagons as hexagons, and I think I may have done it myself).

I've just read about Clay Craft in Gail Lambert's book and am rather taken with it.

I sold this Clay Craft piece last week, beautiful glaze the area at the from was like looking into water.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/antiques-collectables/art-deco-retro/kitchenware/auction-626545814.htm

9cmh very nice in this Bluestone like glaze.  
Marked Clay craft only..

Jeremy ten points for tracking down the maker of that white lidded dish.... it didn't look like anything I was familiar with but what a groovy shape!

Maryr wrote:Jeremy ten points for tracking down the maker of that white lidded dish....  it didn't look like anything I was familiar with but what a groovy shape!

Glad the message got to you.
I'm on a learning curve here.
I have just had one trademe seller change a description to include "Clay Craft", all following this unmarked octagonal at clubnight.

Clay Craft ware feels like a higher fired stoneware, more like the vitrified or cook & serve ware that Crown Lynn made, or even a higher temperature firing.
This gives it a wonderful stoney feel and the glazes are soft and muted.  
Perhaps someone who worked there could give us an idea of temps fired to ....?
I have a casserole body and a mug and the backstamps on both are extremely difficult to read.



This reads on the base -
Clay Craft - around the top
and New Zealand around the bottom

The mug is in a very soft muted blue with a brown contrast around the rim -




The mugs base reads -
Clay Craft - around the top
Made In - across the middle
New Zealand - around the bottom

I bought a bit of Clay Craft this morning, $2 at Red Cross. Coffee mug, round, blue and brown.
The handle's just big enough for two fingers and it takes the full contents of my espresso pot.
It feel nice to hold and drink out of. About the same size as a Temuka "Kingston" mug.
I don't fancy my chances of finding any more in Whangarei but who knows!

My neighbour tells me shes scored 250 Luke Adams bricks there this morning!   we were slow today!!

I found this Clay-craft Jug on my travels today.. Its simalar to the Mug on an earlier post.. My partner thinks its the uglyist thing that I have ever brought home  Its just different!!!

Thanks as that is a great shot of the base which will go into the Potters Marks Gallery!

Hemara Hemara said he worked at Kiln Craft, Clay Craft and Terra Ceramics, after he stopped working for Titian and Orzels. So he should know some of the histories of these companies one would think.

My weekend purchases at Avondale flea market included this Clay Craft Teapot, and large mug. At a total cost of $5.

The teapot stands 130mm to the rim and measures 113 flat to flat across.
Holds 4 cups.
I must have looked at it a few times before I realised what it is.
I couldn't believe the price. This was $4.
The Avondale market is very close to where it was made.

Clearly a match for JanPots milk jug, above,
but it will serve my blue cups nicely:

The base is clearly marked.

The other dollar went on this large mug; it is marked but barely visible so not worth a pic.
104 high, 82 OD at lip, big fat belly.


There were a few more Clay Craft items but not in perfect condition like these two.

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3/12/13
I have just seen, on a google-image search, that this teapot was also made in an elongated form, "9 Inches tall, great for coffee or tea", but otherwise seemingly identical to mine. This is a similar scenario to Clay Craft's octagonal cups and mugs.

For text only see "Claycraft Tea/Coffee Pot":
http://www.trademe.co.nz/pottery-glass/auction-453484221.htm

LOVE that teapot. Well spotted Jeremy.

I have had my eye on this Clay Craft sugar pot at the Hospice shop.
Poor thing: missing a lid, and looks as though someone tried to set fire to it.
Picked it up for 20c so I could take some photos. (The damage is on the back.)

Octagonal (of course!), blue speckle on white glaze.
H = 75mm, flat-flat = 100mm

The name on the base is unreadable unless you know it's there,
but it is the same as the teapot: CLAY CRAFT MADE IN NEW ZEALAND
The right hand image shows the sugar pot with the lid from the teapot.
Just trying to get an idea of what the complete item might look like.

One of these, with lid, in the pink, white and brown glaze would complete a set
with Janpots' milk jug and my teapot.

I thought this was CL except the colours wrong 10.5cmh  

Oddly enough Crown Lynn used this shape as well!
It's in the 2000 Gallery and if I remember correctly Titian/Orzel used it too !!!
There is a topic about it....... somewhere.

I found this wee cup the other day, just like the coffee mug, but quite small, only about 70mm tall

Hows this? -- I think this cup is super cool, I love the shape - Its has a clay-craft backstamp

Janice, what size is it?

Yes, cute shape.

without measuring it about the same as 3036
http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/gallery/Crown-Lynn-Shapes-with-Four-Digits/Cups-Earthenware-3000-3100/3036-Straight-sided-Mug-paired-with-3034-101274-pic_5400.htm
Ill measure it soon