David Frith & Margaret Frith - Brookhouse Pottery

Cheers. It’s an early piece by David Frith

Lovely. Thanks, Naomi.

I’d appreciate your thoughts on the jug below - it was sold as “attributed to Michael Cardew” but I’m taking that with a very large pinch of salt, it’s a beautiful thing but seems too “new” to be Cardew? Not fussed either way, I won’t ever be selling it so it’s only for my own interest, but it would be nice to know if it could be ID’d any more precisely?

Attributed to is the standard auctioneer catch phrase when the auctioneer has not a clue. What you have is probably  a very nice Winchcombe Jug with no mark. Equally as you say, fairly modern, as its a modern  style that they made for decades and shows little sign of age. It was an influential and popular design that Winchcombe trained potters have also used. A correct attribution would have been 'Winchcombe style Jug. The Michael Cardew reference is complete nonsense, as he had nothing to do with Winchcombe since just after WW2.

I can see why it might be attributed to Cardew:
Winchcombe jugs have a slight "shoulder" which this one does not.
Winchcombe jugs do not have a thumbstop which is trademark Cardew (though some pupils, e.g. Gwynn Hanssen continued to use one).
The wire cut shows that a different type of wire was used (compare with any Winchcombe pots you may have). Potters get very attached to a particular type of wire!
However, the glaze trailed decoration does not recall any pattern that either Ray Finch or Michael Cardew used. And this was done by an extremely accomplished potter. If you have ever attempted glaze trailing even on a flat surface you will know what I mean. The pattern is reminiscent of a David Leach pattern, but this is clearly not a David leach pot. David Lloyd Jones comes to mind as a possibility.
Whoever made it, it is a beautiful pot to keep and cherish!

Thank you so much, both - it was the thumbstop (a better description than my ‘knobbly bit on the handle!’) which stopped me thinking Winchcombe initially, but like so much in studio pottery I can find lots of “nearly but not quite” matches! It is a lovely jug, and I’ll keep my eye out for a match.

However, the glaze trailed decoration does not recall any pattern that either Ray Finch or Michael Cardew used.

Yes, I'm not finding any examples either. Lovely jug.

I think it's by David Frith.

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/jug-29

https://pin.it/6gbZoFi

Thank you, Naomi, that looks spot on! I’ll do a little more digging but I think you have it.

Well done Naomi, definitely David Frith. Decoration and thumbstop!

And the wirecut, if you look at other examples on the forum

Tbh, it was also the grubby bottom. I don't know if it's the clay or the firing, but I find 50s-70s Welsh pots often have grubby looking bottoms

Picked up a lovely  set of ash glazed dinnerware which appears to be early Brookhouse pottery - from reading the thread looks like I can assume it’s pre 1975 but can it be dated more precisely? Any information much appreciated.  

Yes, Frith pottery. Not sure if the date but I’d guess 1960s

Margaret Frith