Clarice Cliff Feature Articles

As you will see currently in the “In the Media” section on the Open Forum there are several British and international celebrities from many walks of life who collect Clarice Cliff pottery.  These include Joan Collins, Elton John, Dawn French, Barbra Streisand, Vogue fashion editor Anna Wintour, Amanda Holden, Jerry Hall, former footballer Jimmy Greaves, director Trevor Nunn, Christopher Biggins and the late Cilla Black.  But have you ever wondered why any celebrity finds Clarice Cliff pottery so appealing.  Here are some interesting comments mentioned in an old newspaper cutting on what well-known actress Sheila Hancock who was born in 1933 during the ‘Bizarre years’ thinks about the pottery we know and love ……..

The actress, writer and director Sheila Hancock particularly likes what she describes as “womens’ pots” - pottery designed by Clarice Cliff and painted by her team of ‘Bizarre girls‘, and Moorcroft pottery with its distinctive floral designs, which were also painted by women.

“It’s women’s art, that’s what I like about it,” says Sheila.  “People will say there have never been any women artists, but here are these marvellous things which women - very ‘ordinary’ women - have decorated in the Staffordshire pottery factories.  None of my pots are valuable, it’s the story behind them, and the social background which really appeal to me.”

“I’ve got Clarice Cliff plates, flower pots, a cruet, nothing major.  But I love the boldness of the colours, the oranges and the yellows, and the fact that there is the occasional wavy line, that they are not always perfectly painted.  They re so original, when you compare them with anything else of the period.  The women were very brave to do something that different.  I’ve got a fruit dish by Colley Shorter, Clarice’s husband.  It’s quite pretty and old-fashioned, but really so ordinary compared with the originality of her work - that’s why I bought it!”

“I like the idea of all those ‘Bizarre’ girls traipsing up to London from Staffordshire to do pottery painting demonstrations in shop windows at Selfridges or Waring & Gillow.  They couldn’t believe the carry-on there was about them.  As far as they were concerned, they were only doing a job.”