Clarice Cliff Feature Articles

THE 1985 MIDWINTER CLARICE CLIFF REPRODUCTIONS

It is virtually impossible to find anything in either text or photograph form about the 1985 Midwinter Clarice Cliff reproductions on the internet as another collector and myself have found!  There are a few articles about reproductions (of which there are many Clarice Cliff) but I have found these to be rather inaccurate on several fronts.  How fortunate we are then, to have a ‘bird’s eye view’ of someone who was ‘there’ at the time and who acted as consultant to this project: our Founder of the original Clarice Cliff Collectors Club, Leonard Griffin.

In the June 1998 CCCC Review he wrote the following about the Midwinter reproductions, most importantly listing some key information.

“The first Clarice Cliff reproductions were made at the Midwinter factory.  Managing Director Norman Tempest was very interested in her work and had searched everywhere on the former Wilkinson’s and Newport sites but only two umbrella stands in the showroom were left.  He developed the project from 1984 onwards with Eve Midwinter and Pat Walters.  I had visited the factory on several occasions researching ‘The Bizarre Affair’ and was asked to act as consultant.  On one occasion Ethel Barrow showed us how to paint Crocus, and her picture taken that day is on page 68 of the book.

“Producing the shapes took a great deal of time as did perfecting the techniques for applying enamel colours in heavy layers.  We decided the range mainly based on pieces from my collection simply because they were easily accessible.  Many samples were tried including a Red Autumn plaque, which did not go into production.  Ironically, Midwinter employed trainee decorators on a YTS scheme who were only a few years older than the original Bizarre ‘girls’ had been.  They were trained by painting the patterns, rubbing them off, painting them again, until they could do them instinctively.  The boxes were stunning, with Summerhouse printed in outline in silver on black.

“The collection consisted of Conical dredgers in Red Roofs, House & Bridge, Rudyard, Pastel Melon, Pastel Autumn and Crocus.  A Conical bowl in Umbrellas and Rain was well decorated and had the design on the feet.  The plaque was based on my Summerhouse 13” one and we chose a shape 14 vase in Honolulu to complete the set.  Midwinter also issued tableware in printed designs on their Stonehenge shape.  Most successful was Melon though it lacked the orange banding. They also did Oranges and Lemons and a version of Crocus in strange colours which had one flower flying away.  Before the reproductions had a chance to sell out the factory was re-organised by Wedgwood. Production got behind, orders were late or cancelled.  Just a few years later they became collectable.

Rarity/Value:  The Honolulu shape 14 vase was originally £285 (edition size 100); the Conical bowl was £90 (edition size 250); the plaque was £80 (edition size 500), and the Conical dredgers were £29.95.  CCCC members got the pieces with a 25% discount so they were even cheaper!  Few collectors seem to sell Midwinter pieces now so values today are hard to assess.  Yorkshire members Maureen and Harold reported that they paid £170 in 1997 for a Pastel Melon dredger.  In Australia, the Conical bowl has sold for over £550 at auction.  At Christie’s in November 1991 a complete set with boxes and certificates sold for £2,200.  Clearly when the Midwinter pieces are available they are selling at a premium.” - Leonard Griffin

Thirty-one years later, and still few Midwinter Clarice Cliff reproductions appear in the market place, even on such popular sites as eBay, so today’s value remains hard to assess. In the last three years a few Midwinter dredgers have appeared on eBay with prices ranging from £70 to £200 plus, and recently a shape 14 Honolulu Mei Ping (written as Mai Ping by Midwinter) was offered for sale at £349. The 1985 Midwinter reproductions rarely appear at auction houses either, and again at these venues it is usually the Wedgwood, Wedgwood/Bradford Exchange, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Moorland Pottery Clarice Cliff reproductions sold in groups.  

There is something quite unique about the 1985 Midwinter reproductions and that is its back-stamp.  This was worded “Royal Staffordshire POTTERY by Clarice Cliff” and not “Royal Staffordshire Ceramics (or Dinnerware) by Clarice Cliff” which Clarice originally used.

Purists will have their own views on reproductions per se; however the Midwinter reproductions are quite unique and collectable in their own right, if you so desire.  They are truly “limited” versions unlike any other of the mass-produced reproductions including Wedgwood (except those specially back-stamped for the original CCCC). 

I am indebted to fellow collector Mark D for supplying photographs of the original Midwinter brochure and the Summerhouse plaque photograph and certificate.  I am also grateful to eBayer capestone2010 who allowed me to use photographs of the Honolulu vase.  Other photographs are of items from my own collection.

DOREEN MANN

Editor