Lectures and Sales Tables highlighted the Staffordshire Club Meeting

Approximately $50,000 in sales and trade highlighted the weekend of June 16, 2003 as about 32 members improved their Staffordshire collections. About 10 informal tables were set up by members and the action was brisk.

Arnold Berlin explained the workings of www.staffordshire.org, search methods, and requested forum and sales listings. There is no charge for listings, links and sales notices on this non-profit site.

A lecture was given by Wendy Cheshire, an archeologist, who discussed Clowns’ role in the Staffordshire tradition traced through the Italian theater with Harlequin and Columbine to the English countryside with traveling acting groups..

Melissa Bennie of Christie’s and Ivan Mears of Mears and Boyer evaluated a number of pieces including some Kent pieces which were manufactured from the late 1800’s to the 1960’s. Both Kent and earlier pieces were discussed in detail and some interesting facts emerged. .

For example in the Victorian period black baselines rather than the gold baselines were put on seconds. A double red baseline on early pieces generally indicated the factory known as Obadiah Sherratt. There were three periods of Kent manufacture with differing characteristics.

Elinor Penna and Ivan Mears discussed the difficulties in pairing up figures. They showed 7 individual pieces of the same item, but each was different and no two together would make a well matched pair. Generally each piece was manufactured separately and seldom were pairs produced by the same person at the same time. When sold a left and a right would generally be taken from stock at random, not perfectly matched. Since they were made by the same factory there would often be a general match. Different potteries and even the same pottery sometimes varied decoration on the same piece. Thus, making matches is difficult and most pairs are actually assembled pairs with the same colors and style.

Before and after the meeting many of the members visited Elinor Penna’s home and her magnificent collection.