Troika. A work of art whichever way you look at it.

Vase, sculpture, art? To me, this tall Troika vase qualifies as all three.

And the nice thing about having a vase that's square like this one, is that – depending which face you choose to display – it's a bit like having four different vases in one.

This carved and wonderfully textured vase in warm earthy colours is by Troika Pottery. The design is by Tina Doubleday who was at Troika between 1977 and 1979.

There's a lot more information on Troika pottery, including a useful list of designers marks, here: Troika Pottery

Carn pottery. Growing up fast.

Troika pottery, from Cornwall, has had a spectacular rise to fame over the last decade or so. It's grown to become one of the most collectable, sought-after ranges of UK studio pottery. I must admit, I'm a big fan myself – as you can see here Troika on Potshots and here more Troika.

But Troika has a sort of little brother. Not really a poor relation, and not a poor man's Troika by any means. Carn pottery, also from Cornwall (Penzance), is growing up fast. It's not surprising that Carn pottery is becoming increasingly popular. there are some very nice items in the range.

Subdued colour schemes, textured surfaces and panels of abstract design all combine to give a sense that these attractive studio pots have a real hand-made, hand-crafted quality.

As Carn pottery is still quite reasonably priced, it may be a good time to pick up a couple of carefully chosen pieces. Who knows, one day it may enjoy some of the fame that Troika has had.

The vase shown here probably dates from the early 1970s.

Troika wheel vases from the 1970s. Nice to have a round.

It's not the most obvious shape for a vase but these circular Troika wheel vases have got lots of style about them.

Not only that, but there's the added bonus of having two vases in one. Both sides are so different, when you want a change, simply turn the vase around and it's like looking at a new vase.

And they certainly are good to look at. I like the abstract designs – sometimes geometric, sometimes freely-drawn. There's also a nice depth of texture to the surfaces.

Made by Troika, Cornwall, England, these vases probably date from the 1970s. I have a feeling the blue coloured wheel vase was decorated by Anne Lewis.

It's been a pleasure to have these fine examples of Troika pottery around.

Troika cylinder vase by Linda Hazel.

Photographing this vase recently, made me realise how many vases in the Potshots collection have straight sides. Perhaps it's because to my eye, simple cylinders have a nice solid feel to them.

This particular cylinder-shaped vase is by Troika. It has a nicely painted design that features creamy white circles with thin bands of dark orange and blue. This makes the round shapes look almost like the planet Saturn. Like a lot of Troika pottery, the vase also has a lovely feel with its outer matt finnish and pitted texture.

The base has the monogram LH, indicating that it was painted by Linda Hazel, probably around 1972. I managed to trace the painter's mark through the excellent Digital Museum of Cornish Ceramics