Re: Bath Pottery - Steve Mills & Richard Freeman (see also John Shelly)

by Ian1978 February 28th 2018, 9:27 pm

I can't get a decent photo but it's definitely RF and the only letter you can make out in the word above Pottery is a B. The word is much shorter than pottery so could be Bath.

by **Potty** February 28th 2018, 10:13 pm

studio-pots wrote:These types of dishes were made by hundreds of potters in the 1950s and with no BATH POTTERY mark, no VELLOW mark and no Richard Freeman personal mark it is not possible to say that it was definitely by him or was made at either of these potteries. It maybe by him but unless he is asked (I know he was still alive a few years ago) then I can't see how anyone can say that it is definitely by him or where it was made.

To be fair SP I think with this particular piece I believe a mark was not needed. The way the slab was cut (with a wire and wire marks left on display), clay, glaze, decoration and form are all a match and I've never seen pots like these that check all those boxes, but I could be wrong.

by **NaomiM** February 28th 2018, 10:34 pm

I’ve edited Ian’s photo and there’s definitely an RF mark and ‘Pottery’. I can see a partial word above with a B so could well be ‘Bath’

Bath Pottery - Steve Mills & Richard Freeman (see also John Shelly) - Page 2 2d169f10

Bath Pottery - Steve Mills & Richard Freeman (see also John Shelly) - Page 2 2d169f10

by **studio-pots** February 28th 2018, 11:21 pm

Without a mark I don't think it is correct to use the word definite unless you have some other actual provenance.

Now that I have seen the image of the mark under the glaze, which hadn't been spotted/mentioned, that is a different matter, as it is the BATH POTTERY impressed mark and the personal mark of Richard Freeman and so the word definite can be used.

Here is it without any glaze.

Bath Pottery - Steve Mills & Richard Freeman (see also John Shelly) - Page 2 P1000310

by **Potty** February 28th 2018, 11:44 pm

studio-pots wrote:Without a mark I don't think it is correct to use the word definite unless you have some other actual provenance.

Fair enough point and I would also not "officially" say this was his with without some form of caveat, I.e. "Looks like", but I was 99.9% convinced it was his Big Laughter

If I was selling this I would have no issue saying "Richard Freeman" for the title, but I would mention in the description that it is unmarked (as we thought it was), but that I was almost certain it was his.