Ambrico/Ruskin experimental or Hobby ceramic?

I saw this in an op shop a few weeks ago, and thought it might be something special, until I picked it up. It was far too light feeling with pits in the glaze

This is the base. It has a faint number 31, and stilt marks. I decided because of all this, that it was a hobby beramics piece, due mainly to the weight. But is it? This same vase has now been listed on TM http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=923564718

This is the ware that gets listed on Trade Me as the Ruskin experimental Crown Lynn ware.  Did you get it?  There are many shapes in this glaze and they all have numbers just like the Crown Lynn shapes do.  This one has 37 on the base.  I would dearly love to know who made these pieces and I'm pleased to hear that this felt too light to be Crown Lynn.  I want to catalogue all of the shapes and numbers.  Someone suggested that it may be early Australian, but no amount of googling has turned up any maker. I don't see Crown Lynn shapes or glazes when I see this ware. I'm pretty sure that it isn't Hobby Ceramics either. I do salute the glazing as it really is stunning.

I wish I had bought it now, but it had a chip also, and I didn't like the light feel, so I left it, and hence why it is now listed. If I had bought it I would gladly have sent it to you. Maybe i will find another one day.

There is a piece listed on Trade Me the same shape as one that Jim Drummond sold in his Art & Object auction for $500.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1246912899

The Jim Drummond auction blurb:
"Rare shape Crown Lynn Arts & Crafts style vase.  Tapering hexagonal section moulded with 'riveted flashings' to the angles.  Rare colourway (in imitation of Ruskin high fired wares) purple-lilac dribble glaze.  Incised no.4 impressed no 46."

My brain cells always hit High Alert when any of these so called Crown Lynn Specials Department Ruskin pieces turn up and now I'm putting them all onto a Pinterest page.  I have a few of these saved to my photos and will put them here for a short time so that I can add them to Pinterest, then I will delete them.  I can't get Pinterest to pick up the last 4 pics, so I will leave them here for reference.

https://nz.pinterest.com/nzpottery/ruskin-type-pottery-found-in-nz/

I have many doubts about this ware being made by Ambrico/Crown Lynn Specials.  The numbers are all written in the same style and are quite identifiable, as is the glazing on most of this ware.  The shapes are not at all familiar either.  Just need to find out who made it .....




70


86


37

I really struggle with this "Ruskin" stuff. It doesn't look like anything else CL made. Is it correct that the only reference that connects CL and Ruskin is one sentence in Jim Drummond's catalogue?  Jim is very very  knowledgeable but none of us are infallible. In any case the reference says "in imitation of the Ruskin style" which is scarcely definitive.  Ruskin closed in 1935.  Tom Clark never mentioned Ruskin to me when he was talking about potteries he admired. I have seen no ref in Gail Henry's work either.
As I have said none of us are infallible but I am going to stick my neck out and say I very much doubt that these pots are Crown Lynn.

I totally agree with you Val, but want to get to the bottom of who made this ware.
People were collecting these and giving them the Ruskin connection long before Jim's famous auction.  People list them on Trade Me as Crown Lynn.  It's odd that the listing above didn't get listed as this Ruskin/Ambrico ware as the trader is very clued up when it comes to NZ Pottery.

Hi and kind regards,a Google image search finds these to be James Plant pottery..England,early and have value but certainly not Crown Lynn.

I agree that all of the evidence points to James Plant, but we are lacking the crucial missing link

https://www.newzealandpottery.net/t8761-the-ruskin-like-so-called-crown-lynn-trickle-glaze-some-information-perhaps#34575

Hmm,if all the evidence points too,it likely is...none of the numbers correspond and would 'experimental' pieces be attributed a shape number in the mold before they even decided to put in production?...just pondering...

My vase like this has a stamp on the base and it isn't the stamp of James Plant or Crown Lynn. Until I can identify the stamp I won't know who made it