Mystery K mark Jug, and an early Kingwood Pottery Jug

Moved to General Pottery Discussion as there is still a question mark over the mystery K mark - Admin 


I bought this kiln-damaged but nicely-formed earthenware jug in my local Auction Centre. It has a 'K' stamp on the handle base and the seller, Martin Browne, who knows his pots, suggested that it might be from the Kingwood Pottery, Surrey (pre1939-1977 according to BSPM) and therefore possibly by Michael Cardew....16cm (height)




I wasn't so sure, and when I bought this second earthenware jug off the bay with its proper Kingwood 'K' mark on the base, I was even less sure. However, I was interested to know if this jug might have been by Michael Cardew as BSPM suggests. 15.2cm (height)




I got my answer when I saw a slipware Kingwood jug that Paul Rice had for sale last year. It was covered in a yellowy cream slip and decorated with rather childlike slip trailed or painted flowers. He wrote "This lovely little jug is one of very few pots made by Michael during his short stay at Kingwood Pottery in 1948. Michael told me that he was extremely careful to mark everything he made there (the pots carrying just the K seal were made after he left). This pot has his personal seal [MC] and is exceptionally rare."

So I think that's definitive, my first jug may or may not be Kingwood. My second jug is definitely Kingwood but made post 1948.

I think that the Kingwood, Surrey Ceramics, Grayshott Pottery mess is one of the most misleading aspects of BSPM, which seems to have resulted in loads of people trying to sell all sorts of items as being by Michael Cardew. Therefore "Skip" you starting this thread ought to prove very useful to those, who take the trouble to read it.

Before I start to add by pennyworth I must admit that I don't have a great deal of knowledge of these operations, as they aren't really of any great consequence. However, one thing to make very clear is that Paul Rice is correct in saying that nothing with just a K seal that was made at Kingwood can be said to have been made by or even attributed to Michael Cardew.

Cardew was there for a very short time in 1948 and didn't hang around long because the clay, facilities and kilns were less that perfect. As Paul says his Kingwood work will have his personal seal as well and even then I think Cardew would admit that because of the problems there it wasn't his best work by any means.

Looking at your jugs "Skip", if I might be so rude, I believe that you are correct in saying that the last one was made at Kingwood but I wouldn't rule out it being made before 1948. At some point before Kingwood became Surrey Ceramics in 1956 it starting using a full stamp of "Kingwood Wormley Surrey Made in England" so a late 1940s date or earlier seems to me more likely that a 1950s date for that jug.

From the pictures of your first jug, my impression is that it is made of stoneware rather than earthenware but not being able to see the bottom of it or the jug in real life puts me at a disadvantage. If that is so then it being Kingwood seems unlikely.

Thanks SP, very helpful as usual. I've had another look at the first jug and I think you are correct, the body is reddish but very hard so could well be stoneware

intersesting and useful info, thanks