Vase signed Finch, 1953

Stab in the dark, could this be an early Ray Finch pot. The decoration & glaze looks similar, again just a punt here.

Ray Finch was running Winchcombe Pottery by then. Looks like a student piece

Could it be a test piece of Ray.

Wikipedia extract below.

Finch was interested in stoneware, and in 1952 he started experimenting with the more difficult clay. The experiments were eventually successful and in 1954 the bottle kiln was fired for the last time, since it was too large and unsuitable for stoneware.

NaomiM wrote:Ray Finch was running Winchcombe Pottery by then. Looks like a student piece

Yes my thoughts to possibly a student piece, like I said just a punt really and as Pugmill said it could be a Finch early test piece

Pugmill wrote:Could it be a test piece of Ray.

Wikipedia extract below.

Finch was interested in stoneware, and in 1952 he started experimenting with the more difficult clay. The experiments were eventually successful and in 1954 the bottle kiln was fired for the last time, since it was too large and unsuitable for stoneware.

Thanks for the info Pugmill, very interesting thought and as you say a possibility. Like I said in my earlier post, just a punt really

I don't think it would be a student piece. I think it is a test piece by Ray himself. The number 3 written on the base in what appears to be the same glaze as on the body also points to it being a test piece. An interesting vase/pot.

It's dated 1953

Pugmill wrote:It's dated 1953

when they were using red earthenware at Winchcombe. In 1953 Winchcombe had "disastrous problems" with their bottle kiln and so it was all hands trying to produce the standard "Stock" lines to meet demand, including Ray.

Stoneware was not used at Winchcombe until 1959/60.

And started experimenting with stoneware in 1952, as mentioned above.

Pugmill wrote:And started experimenting with stoneware in 1952, as mentioned above.

There is no indication in any of the reliable sources of information about Ray Finch that the Wiki entry is correct. I can find information that he thought about using stoneware in the late 1940s but it wasn't until 1959 that it was used and not until 1964 that earthenware was finally phased out. In 1952/3 the pottery was losing around 50% of their pots during firing, which led to redundancies and only Sid Tustin, Don Jones and Ray at the pottery.

At the end of the day you'd have to convince collectors that this is a test piece by Ray Finch and they're going to wonder why he didn't simply use his stamp