Abstract Glazed Pot 'R' makers Mark?

One of my first ever pottery purchases from a charity shop, with this, I began to realise and accept that I seem to keep buying pots for some reason.
I still love it.

I think there is a letter R scratched in under the clear glaze.

I’m not really an expert in identification, but I do make pottery myself and in my opinion, the bottom has been very sloppily wired off the wheel and not trimmed properly. It makes me think this is an amateur piece someone made in a class or something vs a piece by a well known potter.

Mrm395 wrote:I’m not really an expert in identification, but I do make pottery myself and in my opinion, the bottom has been very sloppily wired off the wheel and not trimmed properly. It makes me think this is an amateur piece someone made in a class or something vs a piece by a well known potter.

I'm still not sure it is an amateur piece,
Although yes, a very sloppy finish to the base I think it is hand built opposed to thrown on a wheel.

I feel that as a sculptual piece it's worth investigating.

Ruth Duckworth as an example doesn't always finish her bases particularly well.

See here:

It does appear to be wired off (you can see where the wire was not pulled straight), which means it was probably at least partially done on a wheel. I’m just speaking as an amateur potter myself, but I feel like there’s a difference between a raw finish like the example you shared and a fairly large technical error like the chunk missed while wiring off that a more advanced potter would probably not have done. But like I said, I’m not an expert in pottery identification so maybe something like that is more common than I would think.

It may well be an apprentice or a second. A professional potter would just simply not be able to sell this piece. There would be no market for it. Those nicks in the top, the badly finished bottom. It is just not commercial.
But it looks well made. A nice little buy.

The signature looks French, imo. I doubt it’ll ever be IDed

Mrm395 wrote:It does appear to be wired off (you can see where the wire was not pulled straight), which means it was probably at least partially done on a wheel. I’m just speaking as an amateur potter myself, but I feel like there’s a difference between a raw finish like the example you shared and a fairly large technical error like the chunk missed while wiring off that a more advanced potter would probably not have done. But like I said, I’m not an expert in pottery identification so maybe something like that is more common than I would think.

I see,  thank you for sharng that. I think your summation is probably correct.
I think I would be hard pressed to show you many examples from accomplished potters finishing the base like mine.


Edited:
The example of the R.D I shared DOES have chunks missing as you said.

Would it be uncommon to wire off a static 'non thrown' piece then?

Some people do take hand built pieces and put them on a wheel to alter the form after constructing it out of slabs. I suppose it’s possible this was coil built and then placed on a wheel head to modify, but it does look like the piece was being turned when wired off, so it was either wired off on a wheel or banding wheel. Maybe they built it with coils and then needed to wire it off whatever surface, but again that would be kind of an amateurish mistake and probably not intentionally done by a pro. Btw, I do like the form and glaze on this piece. :)

philpot wrote:It may well be an apprentice or a second. A professional potter would just simply not be able to sell this piece. There would be no market for it. Those nicks in the top, the badly finished bottom. It is just not commercial.
But it looks well made. A nice little buy.

Thanks Phil, I understand what you say.
I do love the brutality of it, and the glaze texture..
(Even if it isn't intentional  )


I think I'l get on and enjoy it for what it is now.. Without wondering if its by a known artist..

NaomiM wrote:The signature looks French, imo. I doubt it’ll ever be IDed

There's an intentional R in a box scratched into the side.
But possibly not worth researching.

I think if it was a well made piece, it would be more globular in form at the bottom?

Still, the Naivety and rawness is right up my street..

Until my budget changes at least.  

Mrm395 wrote:Some people do take hand built pieces and put them on a wheel to alter the form after constructing it out of slabs. I suppose it’s possible this was coil built and then placed on a wheel head to modify, but it does look like the piece was being turned when wired off, so it was either wired off on a wheel or banding wheel. Maybe they built it with coils and then needed to wire it off whatever surface, but again that would be kind of an amateurish mistake and probably not intentionally done by a pro. Btw, I do like the form and glaze on this piece. :)

(I edited my post, as I stated by mistake that mine  'doesn't'' have chunks missing. I had meant to be in agreeance with you.)

Thanks for that and I take what you have said, if it was of interest for you I would upload images of the inside of the pot.
But I imagine it's of little consequence.

And i'm really glad I'm not alone in my appreciation of this lump. Thanks   is

Hi Bernardo,
Looking at it from a potters perspective, it looks like a college piece. Some colleges donate pieces that they think might sell to charity shops if the students don't pick them up at the end of term.
This is not the case for every potter, but It's unlikely that most professional potters would sell an item that poorly wired off. Having said that, it's really nicely glazed. I would be extremely pleased if I glazed as well as that every time. Before passing a piece ready for sale, I'm not aware of anyone who would risk selling something that might potentially damage the surface it was to be displayed on. The risk of legal action these days is too high. You like it, it doesn't matter whether the maker was an amateur or professional, so long as you get pleasure from it that's all that matters.

SCurry wrote:Hi Bernardo,
Looking at it from a potters perspective, it looks like a college piece. Some colleges donate pieces that they think might sell to charity shops if the students don't pick them up at the end of term.
This is not the case for every potter, but It's unlikely that most professional potters would sell an item that poorly wired off. Having said that, it's really nicely glazed. I would be extremely pleased if I glazed as well as that every time. Before passing a piece ready for sale, I'm not aware of anyone who would risk selling something that might potentially damage the surface it was to be displayed on. The risk of legal action these days is too high. You like it, it doesn't matter whether the maker was an amateur or professional, so long as you get pleasure from it that's all that matters.

Yea thanks alot for that input.
Mrm395 and Philpot had made similar points to yours.
I will ask the charity shop for provenance in the future..
Might actualy save me doing so much research if they know who dropped it to them.

Glad you appreciate the glaze.
It's nice that a mystery piece can just be appreciated for what it is. I still get a kick out of that side of collecting for sure.

In the pots defence, the base is slightly domed and so it actualy sits flush without the loose pieces of clay scratching surfaces.