For gallery handpotted Beach Artware

Recently there has been discussion about this ware, which I will attempt to summarise.  Jeremy and Mike especially, you will have more to add to this.  There is HUGE number of different shapes in this range, perhaps we just need a few representative samples on the site rather than all of them?
I am 95% certain that the 'unknown' ware in brown, dark green and (less common so far!) orange was hand-thrown by a team of potters at Beach Artware. 

EDIT 26 June 2015 - I have since discovered that the shiny green and brown ware is not Beach - most likely by Peter Lowry.

I have been told by several people including Paul Hemara, Ernie Cooper, Pamela Clark and Barry Sluiters (Kermiko) that there was a team of hand throwers at Beach.  We also know from several sources that Daniel Steenstra, a highly adept production thrower, also worked at Beach.  More work is required on dates but it looks like the 1970s - see the following from Ev:

I found Beach Artware listed in old phone books from 1975 - 1978 at 2a Rabone St, Henderson. The Managing Director was P.J. Beach, 16 Woodruffe Ave, Henderson.

The following photos were emailed to Ernie and to Pamela Clark.  Both were fairly sure they were Beach hand potted, but CAUTION we have yet to find anyone who holds this ware in their hand and says 'yes I made that' - until then it is difficult to be 100% certain.

There are strong similarities between the glazes of this ware and slipcast Beach Artware, Kiln Craft and Clay Craft.  Some of this hand potted ware is impressed on the base with "P".  Pamela has pointed out that Peter Beach had a son Paul who was one of the hand throwers.

EDITS 26 June 2015 - the shiny green and brown ware, much of which has words piped on the outside, is likely to be made by Peter Lowry. It is not Beach. Some of this ware has a "P" on the base.

Anyway, here are the photos I sent to Ernie and to Pamela.  I will add measurements as I find them.

The piped(?) words - see below on Tea and Spoons vessels - are a distinctive aspect of this ware.

I will also add some links to previous discussions.   BUT - for clarity, I suggest that all items for the gallery are re-posted here.

To my semi-knowledgeable eye, all this ware is hand potted. (there are no visible joins, and the insides often have hand-potters' finger grooves).  It is finely made, durable and of good quality generally.  The lids generally fit well. There are a lot of very tiny pieces, some only 5-6 cm high.. is this hand potted - if so, by someone with small hands!  (note that I have also been told that Steenstra made lots of small items at Crown Lynn - I don't believe that he made all the tiny ware at Beach, but maybe he passed on his skills.)  

https://www.newzealandpottery.net/t5394-traditional-clay-craft-for-gallery

https://www.newzealandpottery.net/t5136-commercial-pottery-with-p-marks-who-is-this

Brown lidded jar h 17 cm




Spoons jar h 7 cm EDITS June 2015 - this jar is not Beach Artware.



Orange jar H 17 cm



Tea jar H 16 cm EDITS June 2015 - this jar and the jug below it are not Beach Artware



Jug H 15 cm

We should get a range of glazes on here ASAP.

I was looking at the Steve Fullmer interview last night and thought some of the work shown was similar to some of the Beach.

Steve Fullmer on hand-potting at Beach:
http://hrncirna.cz/en/galery_guest_fullmer_1.html

Some of Steve's work reminds me of the Beach shapes:
http://hrncirna.cz/en/galery/guest/fullmer/03.html

Ev says he's in Nelson so perhaps someone can connect with him.

Knobs.
This hand thrown work has a variety of knob shapes. I wonder each different knob shape is indicative of a different potter. Fullmer's pieces have a different knob from my sugar bowl, but I'm pretty sure I've seen the same knob shape on some of the Beach ware.

I'll trawl the topics and add my pieces below as in find them. Measurements maybe later.

Orange sugar bowl
85mm H to rim x 91 OD lid

I just noticed this morning that this has very fine allover crazing.

White and brown tokens jar

Brown tankard
Flat base, no marks. 165mm H x 74 OD top x 116 base.

My only concern with this one is the neatness of the handle connection.

Spice jar brown on brown
[photo to come]
There is a mark under this one that could EITHER be a mould line OR where a wire snagged cutting it from the wheel.

I'll add more as it turns up.

Later ...

From: http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t5012-yellow-and-brown-from-beach-et-al#18526

---Cane Handle Teapot----------Small Jug------------Oil (?) Jug with Stopper-

All three have flat yellow bottoms. The wee jug in the middle is smaller than Val's one above at 8cm high.

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17/9/14
I just bought another seven pieces of orange but will not be picking up until the end of the month. Will post a reply then. Set includes: lidded sugar and jam pots, pig, p&s, and two corked canisters which may be different sizes.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=778576115

-----------
Same day
ORANGE VARIATIONS ???

Steve Fullmer's  WEBSITE

and Facebook page GALLERY

Val, if the sugar bowl got you to thinking about Daniel Steenstra check out this salt and pepper!

about 9cm H, flat yellow bases, hand-potted [??? see Ev's comment below]

FYI: the incised decoration forms a helix rather than bands, but even so ...


Later ...
Beach Artware Limited 1973-1990
https://www.business.govt.nz/@@fb-searchlite/companydetails/88984

And the next day ...
Uranium glaze
http://www.madnuclearscientists.com/Product-Info-Datasheets/Uranium/Uranium-Glazed-Pottery

I can only see a couple of possible hand thrown pots ....
All that have a name embossed on them are slip cast as far as I can tell.

Ev, I'm still learning here but from the evidence on the pots I'd say that all my orange so far is hand potted. They are quite fine and light which suggests slip rather than hand potted but please note the following.

There is no identification on these pieces: they have flat bottoms.

There is no sign of mould marks or evidence of their having been fettled to remove same.

The interiors (salt pig and sugar bowl) have the appearance of hand potted rather than slip: ie the insides are worked.

Some of these "early" Beach pieces HAVE BECOME the models for slip ware, so you may see the same shapes appearing "later" with foot rings and marked bases.

I have seven pieces yet to pick up, which may include duplicate shapes, so I will have more to work with in a few weeks.

In the meantime I will try to take some detail photos to support my claims. Done.



I have yet to have a close look into the pieces that aren't orange.

A little bit later ...

I have checked the insides of my other pieces from above.
Tankard and teapot show evidence of hand-potting inside.
Small jug appears to be hand-potted too.
Tokens jar could be but thick glaze inside obscures the body.
Stoppered jug: bit hard to see.
Spice jar (not shown yet): appears to be slip.

I'm not convinced Jeremy, but the lidded pot just may be.
Perhaps the masters for these pieces were hand thrown?
I can't see any sign of these being cut from a wheel head and the base edge finished as I would expect a hand thrown piece to be.
Val's orange lidded pot is definitely hand thrown and perhaps her brown lidded jar.
It's hard to tell from photos, it would be better if I could see them in real life and touch them too.
I will swear that the named pieces are slip cast, as I've seen many in real life and they scream out to me that they are slip cast.

The orange salt and pepper are scaled down versions of the 2 salt pigs I posted. The decoration on those 2 are similar but not identical. Would they have had 2 moulds similar or can they be decorated after they come out of the mould. I mean incised and applications added.

Hi Mike, could you post a link to the salt pigs that you mention please?
I can't find them at a glance and don't have time to wade through all of the posts.
Usually the embellishments are already in a slip cast mould. Moulds only have a limited life and new ones have to be made out of plaster of paris, so variations do occur.
I had a thought that may be of help........
Do you guys know a studio potter that could look at your pieces and give their opinion regarding if they are slip cast or hand thrown?
Alternatively a slip caster would be great.

http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t5394-traditional-clay-craft-for-gallery#20980

Mike, are you able to photograph inside the pigs so we can see the inner surface.

The big pig in my trademe lot appears to be different again, broader at the base, and perhaps lacking either of the surface treatments of yours.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=778576115

Ev, I know I am new at looking at hand-potted, but I think turning marks on the inside of a pot are an indication of hand-potting (or perhaps something made on a jigger ie plates and bowls). Even with slip ware taken from hand-potted models the inside will not show turning marks. There may be some variation on the inner surface if the outside is shapely enough as the slip will dry to a reasonably even thickness, but that is not the case in the pieces I noted above: the marks are indicative of the surface being worked.

I will be in Auckland in the next school hols (in two weeks) and I'll be picking up the other pieces from trademe. Would you like to have a look?

I'll see if I can track down Adriana to have a look from a potter's POV. I could possibly also ask Keith from Teal as a mould maker.

Some more orange to ponder.

These three are at the local Salvation Army Family Store.

I recognise the orange, and the exposed body is a match for the Beach clay, but they are quite heavy and have foot rings. I'll have another look tomorrow, check the insides, and see how the three differ in detail.

---------
22/9/14
I had another look at these today and the inside looks hand-potted.
Kat had a look too, and agreed.

Pretty sure the two with orange are Beach. It's not a combination of glazes I have seen before but the orange is soo Beach. The one with red looks a bit different. It too is hand-potted but is noticeably shorter and the glaze is unfamiliar.

And later ...
I see I have a spoons jar like Val's (above):
1. the inside is seriously ribbed as if hand-potted and it has the spiral in the middle of the base (inside) as do the bigger pots above (this post);
2. the "piped" lettering is different from Val's;
3. the shape may be different too, bulging more on mine, but that could be in the photography.

The glaze is pretty thick but through it I see incised bands at the height of top and bottom of the letters; bands on Val's are in different places and the writing (also between the bands) is lower down.

The glaze appears to be the same.

---------
23/9/14

Val's left, mine right

Can you tell from the base of these these two pieces whether they are slip cast or hand potted? Jeremy, I will photograph the insides of the orange salt pigs tomorrow. Much of the brown and yellow in this post and the other post on this subject that I have seem hand potted.

I know nothing of bases Mike.
All I'm doing is looking to see whether they have been turned by the evidence left inside. The difference between castware and worked clay is pretty obvious in shapes where the use of an inner mould is not possible, but glazes can obscure stuff.

Hi Mike, I am a studio potter, but I can't tell from photos for sure if those are hand made. Jeremy wants pics of the throwing rings that are on the inside. I've seen these rings on slip cast ware too, which are probably from the original master.
There are several Crown Lynn slip cast vases that people think are hand potted because of the 'rings' on them or in them.

OK both of these have very obvious rings on the inside and the bottom edge is very sharp and angular where the base meets the side unlike the spice pots where the sides are rounded until they meet the base. Much less obvious rings on these spice pots as well.

I wrote to Steve Fullmer at his web page this morning. My comment is awaiting moderation so will probably not appear to others yet.

Great news Jeremy, as he will be able to recognise what was handmade from when he was there.

I found a lidded jar and a Jam pot today and will report back when I get time.

Firstly the clay on both match my Beach large mug that is backstamped.  I hadn't noticed before, but I have the same mug with Kiln Craft on the base and the clay that was used is white, which may be one way of telling if something is Beach or Kiln Craft.

The glaze on the latter mug is glazed the same yellow and brown as Mike's tea canister and I wonder what colour the clay is on the canister Mike .... white or a very pale yellow?

The next thing that I noticed is that the gallery on the lidded jar is glazed, which means that the lid and the jar have been fired separately which I haven't come across before in hand-potted wares.  If anyone has a Steenstra lidded pot could they please check out if the gallery is glazed or not.

This ware is not very highly fired and my lidded jar is similar in colour to Mikes handpotted jar, which is a pale fawn and has a contrasting double dip that has reacted nicely.

Oddly I cannot confirm if they are handpotted or not, but can only say that maybe they were ...... nothing jumps out to tell me that they were hand made.

Thanks for putting those two spoons jars together Jeremy as the differences are enormous and I finally agree that the words have been put on by hand .... not sure how though.

Ev, I don't recall seeing the big mug without a mark yet so I assume all those appearing so far are slipcast. I have seen a flat-bottomed, unmarked mug in a different style but it was in an auction lot so I couldn't be bothered.

I have, I think, four or five versions of the Beach mug shape: Beach, Kiln Craft, Clay Craft, the 3rd party terracotta one marked Clay Craft, and the blue Clay Craft from Janice that I think is also 3rd party. An unmarked flat bottom Beach one, if such a thing exists, would complete a six set of totally different mugs in the same shape!

One of the questions I have asked Steve Fullmer is if Beach were making slip cast ware while he was there. No reply yet.

I have two slipcast big mugs one marked BEACH and the other marked KILN CRAFT. The clay used on each is totally different. I have taken photos of my stash and will load them when I get home from work.

I will go to the research library next week to look at Beach history and to try to locate Paul Beach.

This Jam Pot and Lidded Jar have been made using the same clay as my backstamped BEACH large mug.











This one shows the glazed gallery for the lid .. and it's the same glaze inside and out






My two slipcast large mugs, left is backstamped BEACH and is made from a yellowish clay and right is backstamped KILN CRAFT which was made from a very white clay ..

Ev the tea cannister clay is yellow. Most of the pieces I have in that glaze is yellow clay. I have one spice pot in the yellow and brown that is a white clay.The inside of the pigs are below. The rings inside are much clearer on the first example which I haven't posted before.


Here are the orange pigs

Thanks Mike, I see what you mean.
Unfortunately I'm still not sure and I have one in front of me !!!!