So, what's in the boxes?

Some time ago I did a post on Hornsea packaging. You can see it here Hornsea packaging

I said I'd let you know what was in the boxes. Well, today's the day. And the answer is owls.

Owl salt and pepper sets to be precise. They were made in 1966 by Hornsea Pottery and are designed by John Clappison. I think the graphics on the owl illustrations are superb, I also like the simplified owl shape of the pots. The cruets were made in three colour schemes – there's also a brown-bodied version. As well as these owl cruets, there are also similar ones in the form of birds, fish and cats.

Lovely examples of 1960s retro style, made even better by being in original boxes.

Soholm Einar Johansen vase 1960s.

A chunky Soholm vase by Einar Johansen.

Moving on from a selection of small and delicate pottery, this vase is very much in the heavy-weight division. The vase dates from the 1960s, it's made by Soholm, Bornholm, Denmark and is solid and sculptural in form. The designer, Einar Johansen, has used masculine, angular shapes – I especially like the protruding discs. The vase is over 11 inches (28cm) high and is very heavy. It's strange but despite being 50 years old, to me, this object has a modern, futuristic look about it. 

Upsala Ekeby blue vase. Nice but a bit of a mystery

Doing the last couple of posts on Scandinavian, textured pottery reminded me that I had this vase. It's a bit of a mystery, really.

The vase is about 6 inches (15cm) high. It has a printed maker's mark for Upsala Ekeby, Sweden on the base along with the word Gefle. Apart from that, I don't know a lot about it. I don't know the designer or even when it was made. Any ideas? I do like to put a designers name to a pot, when I can. The vase has raised areas of unglazed stoneware, the recesses and the rest of the pot are in a nice blue colour.

There's more information on Upsala Ekeby pottery here Upsala Ekeby at Decopediia

Maria Philippi Soholm dish. Danish pottery from 1965.

Here's another small dish designed by Maria Philippi.

Made by Soholm Pottery, Bornholm, Denmark, the dish dates from around 1965. It's a simple, yet well-balanced shape, the design is typical of the style of the 1960s, the colours work well together, and there's a lovely tactile feel to surface of the pot – four factors that ensured this little dish would make its way into the Potshot collection.

Soholm dish. Maria Philippi, you got me singing the blues.

A couple of small dishes with lovely raised surface designs.

They are by Soholm Pottery, Bornholm, Denmark and probably date from the 1960s or early 1970s. The designer is Maria Philippi. I like the texture of the bumps and grooves on the surface and the graphic shapes in the patterns. But the special thing about this range of pottery is the beauty of the blue glaze. It seems to be just the right shade, not too dark, not too bright. It is the perfect compliment to the tan colour of the pot.

There's more Soholm Pottery in the Potshot collection, you can see some here Danish vases

Poole Pottery 1950s Feather Drift jug by Alfred Read. A little gem.

You wouldn't get much milk or cream in this jug. It's only 2 and a half inches (6.3cm) high. I don't mind though, it's still a lovely example of hand-painted decoration from the 1950s.

This is Poole Pottery again (the Alpine White glaze and mushroom-coloured interior is a distinctive giveaway). The painted pattern is known as Feather Drift, which I think was designed by Alfred Read in the mid-1950s. The jug shape is from a range called Streamline, designed by John Adams in 1935-1936.

It would be nice to own a large vase or display charger in a pattern like this. But alas, they don't come along too often. In the meantime, it's a pleasure to admire the decorators art on little gems like this.