Tenmoku jug with bird feather pattern - Frith like but not by Iain Denniss

Unmarked jug. Nicely glazed, a bit like bird feathers.

Got several unmarked like this in my fathers third shed (gathering dust). They look so similar to the types of items I have seen come out of the English studio potteries like Winchombe and the others heading South. No idea why they are unmarked. But it is worth checking at the base of the handle and at the top of the handle. I can't see from the photos. These sneaky potters do like to hide marks all of the place and put loads of glaze to fool the public they are unsigned. Yours could be one of those sneaky jugs

Sadly no marks. Bought from a stall holder at Winchester antiques arcade, who was selling it for a friend who'd owned it for 20-odd years. The lady in the neighbouring stand thought it was by Peter Snagge, as she has a number of his pieces, but comparing it to my jug and the coffee pot I'd found on Tuesday there were too many differences.

it has a Frith look about it imo , I also saw a lovely David Eeles pot at auction , beautifully made , but left unmarked , sometimes marks are left off by mistake etc . I have two Sam Hall Bowls that I love and I pointed out that they were not marked , he just said "it happens" .

Cheers, Ed. I suspect it's by one of David's students (be it Eeles or Frith), but the shape isn't right for either of them.

My other thought was Nick Rees at Muchelney, but he does very few jugs, and not found any this big, so it's not possible to compare.

NaomiM wrote:My other thought was Nick Rees at Muchelney, but he does very few jugs, and not found any this big, so it's not possible to compare.

The glaze does remind me of him too but I don't think the base is correct.

Shown it to a few people and it does seem to be a Frith graze but probably by a student at one of his summer schools

I think it could be by Iain Denniss, Cumbria

https://pin.it/4g32f2bccwe2by

Had a lovely message from his wife, Caroline Fitzpatrick, to say it’s not by him:

I ... saw the jug, which you think may have been made by him and, although it has some similarities I suspect he did not make it.  Iain used to attend summer schools at the Friths and the jug may have been made by someone else there.  Somehow the style isn't quite right.  Although it is entirely possible that it was something he tried and was unhappy with so got rid of it and never used that design again!  He took many photos of his work, which I still have.