Teal Ceramics Balclutha

Teal Ceramics made a wide range of pottery at Balclutha South Otago.

Bought as recycling depot. What is the history of TEAL pottery?

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That's the first time that I've noticed numbers on anything made by Teal ....

There is nothing in Gail Henry's book about Teal Ceramics, so I did a quick google search and this is what I found -

Crofterware trademark registered by Teal Ceramics 14.12.1982
Teal Ceramics registered their trademark (bird with Teal below) 27.4.1983 - also in Oz.

The Company was registered as Teal Ceramics (1985) Ltd - dissolution date 3 March 1991
Also Teal Ceramics (1986) Ltd - dissolution date 15 Feb 1995

Thanks Ev, I'll try some more homework too.

At the Whangarei Antiques Club meeting last night one of the members produced a copy of a Teal catalogue he had been given by a neighbour who used to work there and has now returned to SI.
I missed my opportunity at the meeting to get hold of a copy but I am working on it.

DONE: SEE BELOW

Teal was set up by former employees of McSkimmings.

Saw a small Teal casserole in Hospice today for $4, lid unfortunately chipped.

Pottery catalogues are historical documents full of information that can't be found any other way. I adore catalogues!

This copy was given to me by Michael Simpkin from Whangarei Antiques and Collectors Club.
One of Michael's neighbours is a former Teal employee.

Wow, thanks for the catalogue pictures! I see from it that I have a few pieces of the vogue series and think they are very well made. I love seeing these advertising bits. I have found old magazines also have pages like this, especially Temuka Pottery ads, which I have saved a book of now. 

The cannister advertised regularly as CL

a 104 pasty coloured tall cannister and lid


A rectangular baker that looks like a giant butter dish

no number on this one

a 117 mug in pinky brown glaze

this one is impressed not stamped

a sugar bowl numbered 119


a stamp from another 119. Ok, enough for now   

I thought this looked like a plate from the brochure/catalogue in a single colour. Very heavy and vitrified feeling.

It's not here!
It's over there-> http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t4848-two-different-double-handle-mugs-basalt-and-lucow#19091

Saw the exact same dish with a Richmond back stamp today.

Interesting find Mike. And, Ev, this answers some of the questions you suggested I ask Keith.

Keith Sandford from Teal Ceramics does not remember his dates too well, and there are a confusing bunch of them above so I cannot be certain when this took place, but he told me yesterday that he managed Richmond Pottery for about 18 months sometime before the dissolution of Teal.

I don't think this is the same shape as top right in the picture of Keith's collection http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t5345-teal-designs-by-keith-sandford#20073 but it does look like his work.

Keith came to Teal Ceramics from McSkimmings, where they had just gone through the process of converting the factory to make vitrified wares rather than earthenware (which included conversion of the kiln/s to burn kerosene rather than oil). This conversion may also have seen the end of the Benhar small goods (home wares) range.

As Keith had worked only with vitrified and seen its advantages over earthenware, all Teal Ceramics was vitrified, fired at 1200C, and made from the clay imported from England as powder and mixed in the factory in their blunger (I had to use that wonderful word).

Keith told me that everything was different at Richmond. If the plate you saw was made at Richmond from a Teal mould it will probably have been made with Richmond's clay and may be slightly larger, not being vitrified. Alternatively, if it is the identical vitrified piece it would likely be made by Teal and marked as Richmond.

The Richmond link is rather interesting Jeremy. Janice gave me some pottery magazines that have some Richmond info in them so I will check it out now.

Below is the mushroom coloured oven dish that I posted previously with the comment that it felt vitrified and was in the brochure. The Richmond example I saw was probably out of a Teal mold as it had the same impression of the 3 foot rings coming through to the top. I didn't check the size but I will. this one is 340 mm by 200 mm. The divided oven dish is more of a beige than mushroom and is 353 mm by 190 mm.




Both have the non pregnant duck later mark.

Mike,
I asked Keith about the foot rings in the divided dish and he explained that one was the hole the mud went in and the other the one that told him it was full. If you look at the area inside the foot rings you can see puddling marks.

Because all Teal ware is cast you can see the marks in the top where the clay has shrunk.

I know now that this is an easy way to tell if a cup is slipcast or formed on a jigger.
A quick way to tell I'd Crown Lynn cups are 1000s or 3000s.

I found a Teal baker today, with a transfer in the centre, similar the square one in the oven to tablewear that Jeremy posted

I have 3 of these Deco styled transfer prints on bakers. I have been trying to get around to photographing them for ages now so they can go in the gallery. One oval plate was a gift to me from a friend who knew the owner(?) of Teal Ceramics. I rather like the blue colours so have been looking out for other shapes. I have 2 transfer print bakers, a transfer printed plate, a canister and a salt and pepper set so far.

Thelma, so far we have Barry Teal, Keith Sandford and Ken Doidge. If you have another name to add it would be good. I had a look at the Teal backstamps in Gail Henry's NZ Pottery (1) the other day and saw that the dates Gail gives for them are about 5 years earlier than I had deduced from company dates elsewhere in the forum. Gail also makes mention of Barry Teal in the Benhar section. I'll have a look at 2nd edition in the library next week to see if anything was added there.

I have a feeling that the man was Barry Teal, I think. It will be difficult to check up as the friend died a few years back, but his widow might know. Will ask her some time when we are down that way.

mrnarna wrote:

i have one of these - from the old catalogue pictures posted it looks like "Redwood" but a more brown colour. Have used it for many years in the oven only, never thought of it for the microwave.... But will use it now as it fits really well. Can they be safely used on an electric stove top?

Hi Karel

I wouldn't recommend any pottery to be used on the stove top, as the rapid heating of an element would shatter the pottery. In the stove or microwave are where pottery belongs. Cheers Ev