William Moorcroft for Moorcroft Pottery ‘MOONLIT BLUE’ large BOWL, circa 1925
About the Item
- Creator:William Moorcroft (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 10.5 in (26.67 cm)Diameter: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Pottery,Glazed
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1925
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor scratch to glaze of exterior bowl.
- Seller Location:Richmond Hill, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9154237535122
William Moorcroft
William Moorcroft (1872–1945), the founder of the celebrated British art-pottery company that shares his last name, was both an aesthete and a technical innovator. Along with William de Morgan, he is regarded as one of the greatest ceramists of the Arts and Crafts movement, yet Moorcroft’s singular style is heavily inflected with the lush naturalism of the Art Nouveau school of art and design.
The son of a decorative pottery painter, Moorcroft was born in Staffordshire, the center of English ceramics-making, studied at the Wedgwood Institute and in 1897 joined the local pottery manufacturer James Macintyre & Co. as a designer. After a year, he was put in charge of the company’s art-pottery studio, and there he developed a new style of wares named “Florian,” made with a technique called tube-lining, or slip-trailing. In this method, decorative motifs are outlined with a thin, raised border produced by piping a thread of clay onto the body of a vessel — much like squeezing toothpaste from a tube.
Moorcroft, who took the unusual step of signing his ceramics, would go on to win numerous international awards. In 1913, backed by the London department store Liberty & Co., he left Macintyre to open his own workshop. Queen Mary, wife of King George V, gave Moorcroft her Royal Warrant in 1928. Shortly before he died in 1945, his son, Walter Moorcroft (1917–2002), took over as head of the firm. The pottery company is still in business in Staffordshire, with a design department headed by Rachel Bishop.
William Moorcroft’s ceramics are noted for their colorful, ebullient (and often slightly surreal) decorations depicting stylized natural forms — flowers, toadstools, fruit (pomegranate is a favorite among collectors), insects and landscapes. Most Moorcroft wares are finished with a glossy overglaze. Blue-and-white and pastel shades were generally used as underglazes on early Moorcroft pieces, and he later developed a rich, ruddy background glaze he called “flambé.”
Moorcroft art pottery has a rich, warm and inviting look — a comforting aesthetic that explains their enduring appeal.
Find antique and vintage William Moorcroft pottery, vases, serveware and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Vaughan, Canada
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- MOORCROFT William Hutton & Sns Eventide pattern footed LARGE BOWL silver overlayBy Moorcroft PotteryLocated in Richmond Hill, ONA superb large early Moorcroft Bowl, decorated in the rare Eventide pattern with William Hutton & Sons silver overlay.Glazed earthenware, electroplate Cross-arrows and marks for Will...Category
Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Decorative Bowls
MaterialsEarthenware
- ART NOUVEAU MOORCROFT Florian Ware silver rim bowlBy William MoorcroftLocated in Richmond Hill, ONWilliam Moorcroft Florian ware silver rim bowl. Green style. Large bowl. Size: 7.8 diameter Condition:All over crazing and hairlines to baseCategory
Antique Early 1900s English Art Nouveau Decorative Bowls
MaterialsCeramic
- MOORCROFT Lisa Pagoda lidded vase. Circa 1980.Located in Richmond Hill, ONLise B Moorcroft is the Grand Daughter of William Moorcroft and the Daughter of Walter Moorcroft OBE. As the fourth-generation potter from the Moorcro...Category
Vintage 1980s English Art Deco Decorative Bowls
MaterialsCeramic
- MOORCROFT twin-handled Biscuit barrel and cover in EVENTIDE pattern circa 1925By Moorcroft PotteryLocated in Richmond Hill, ONA twin-handled cylindrical biscuit barrel and cover decorated in the 'Eventide' pattern, in shades of ochre, rose, and petrol blue, impressed factory marks, signed in blue. Glazed ea...Category
Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Vases
MaterialsEarthenware
- MOORCROFT art pottery Rachel Bishop Design PARRAMORE LARGE Vase, 2002 .By Moorcroft PotteryLocated in Richmond Hill, ONMOORCROFT art pottery Rachel Bishop Design PARRAMORE LARGE Vase, 2002 of baluster-form. Description: Incredible Art Pottery from Moorcroft by Rachel Bish...Category
Early 2000s English Arts and Crafts Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Art Nouveau style MOORCROFT pottery Rachel Bishop LARGE Vase, Daffodil, 1994By Moorcroft PotteryLocated in Richmond Hill, ONMOORCROFT art pottery Rachel Bishop Design LARGE Vase, Daffodil, 96/250, 1994 Extremely Decorative painting by Rachel Bishop in Moorcoft Design Studio. ...Category
1990s English Art Nouveau Vases
MaterialsPottery
- Early William Moorcroft Pottery Large Bowl in Freesia Pattern, circa 1935By William MoorcroftLocated in Lincoln, LincolnshireThis is a very good early example of a large diameter bowl made by William Moorcroft, of Moorcroft Pottery in the Freesia pattern and dating to circa 1935. A very beautiful large ...Category
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Decorative Bowls
MaterialsPottery
- Early William Moorcroft Pottery Large Dish in Pansy Pattern, circa 1928By William MoorcroftLocated in Lincoln, LincolnshireThis is a very good early example of a large diameter dish made by William Moorcroft, of Moorcroft Pottery in the Pansy pattern and dating to circa 1928. The pattern is known as P...Category
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Decorative Bowls
MaterialsPottery
- Early William Moorcroft Pottery Large Dish in Freesia Pattern, circa 1935By William MoorcroftLocated in Lincoln, LincolnshireThis is a very good early example of a large diameter dish or shallow bowl made by William Moorcroft, of Moorcroft Pottery in the Freesia pattern and dating to circa 1935. A very ...Category
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Decorative Bowls
MaterialsPottery
- Early William Moorcroft Pottery Large Vase in Autumn Leaves Pattern, circa 1930By William MoorcroftLocated in Lincoln, LincolnshireThis is a very good early example of a large vase made by William Moorcroft, of Moorcroft Pottery in the Autumn Leaves pattern and dating to circa 1930. The pattern is known as au...Category
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Decorative Bowls
MaterialsPottery
- 4369 William Moorcroft Vase in the Moonlit Blue Design, circa 1925By William MoorcroftLocated in Chipping Campden, GBWilliam Moorcroft vase in the Moonlit Blue design Circa 1925 Dimensions: 9cm high Complimentary Insured Postage 14 Day Money Back Guarantee BADA M...Category
20th Century Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- William Moorcroft Liberty & Co Forget Me Not and Rose Pattern Art Pottery BowlBy William MoorcroftLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireA stylish art pottery bowl made for Liberty & Co decorated with tube lined Forget Me Not’s and Rose’s forming garlands around the body of the bowl by William Moorcroft (British, 1872...Category
Antique Early 1900s English Art Nouveau Decorative Bowls
MaterialsCeramic