William Bennett (Hanley) Ltd. - Mabel V Hodgkiss

I'm not sure what this Art Deco item actually is: Perhaps a centre-piece or part of a desk set?

It was designed by Mabel V Hodgkiss and is about 24cm wide - nearly 9 inches.

There's a transfer on the base - William Bennett Hanley Ltd - along with a hand-done reg' number.

I haven't seen anything else by her for sale and wonder how rare her work is.

The Bennett Pottery in Hanley was one of hundreds of small companies in the Potteries during the first 40 years of the 20th century but it is not one that gained any prominence and it appears to have closed in 1937.

Not sure what your item is but it does immediately shout out and tell you that it is 1930s Art Deco from the Potteries.

I haven't heard of Mabel but I imagine that it was Bennett's way of jumping on the female designer band wagon of the time what with Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper and Charlotte Rhead being to the fore.

The pottery being small does mean that your item is rare but that does not always equate to something being valuable.

When I began dealing in the 1980s this type of pottery was something that would have been collected here in the UK and in those days worth more than it is today. These days it is rather out of fashion so a good time to buy if it is to your taste.

I think it would appeal to collectors of Myott , it's in the same vein.

Thanks for the replies. I've just looked up the reg' number and it seems to date to 1934.

A double candle holder.

It looks as tho they were definitely after the Clarice Cliffe market