Portmeirion Pottery

The pottery started in principle when Susan Williams-Ellis, daughter of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (creator of the Portmeirion Village of 'The Prisoner' fame) and her husband Euan Cooper-Willis took over Gray's Pottery in 1960 and Kirkham's Pottery a year later – renamed and marketed as The Portmeirion Potteries Ltd in 1962. It was during this period of the 1960s that some of Susan Williams-Ellis’ most famous shapes and designs were created. Portmeirion are still in production today.

Very like 'Totem' but not exactly - any ideas? There's a stamp but it's very faint & completely illegible.

I think it's the Cypher design...

thanx!

Fennek is right but a little more information for you - the 'Cypher' pattern was produced on the Serif shape and was designed in 1963.

'Gold Sun'



It's a storage jar! It doesn't seem to be a very common pattern and it reminds me of Piero Fornasetti. This is the first storage jar that i've seen like this, although i have seen a pair of Dolphin shakers almost in the same shape. Has anyone else had this pattern or this shape before?

skay wrote:

TC, that reminds me a bit of those large black horoscope mugs in the 70s - were they Portmeirion?

xx

Yes, Zodiac mugs...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350109093642

Thanks TC.

Wow, that takes me back. I had some of those, I wonder what ever happened to them?

xx

You still see them around Sue - I think I've got one somewhere.

Anyway, here is an unusual 'Talisman' lidded jar - the shape is one I've not seen in a jar from Portmeirion before and secondly the screenprinted pattern only has one colour. Normally this black design is printed over two colours (see my other 'Talisman' items at the beginning of this thread). Does anyone know why this one is different?

*click to enlarge*