Charles Vyse (1882 - 1971)

Just looking back through the Studio Pottery threads and I realised that there wasn't anything on Charles Vyse, one of the early generation, who produced stoneware in the Chinese tradition from the 1920s to the 1960s. Along with his wife, Nell, he also produced slip-cast figures at their studio in Chelsea, which continue to have a strong following with collectors of that type of thing.

The low bowl with a mottled brown glaze shown below was marked on the foot ring (CV 1930) but this is difficult to make out even if you expand the thumbnail image.

Its a pity really,that Charles Vyse is becoming somewhat forgotten. He was a very talented and wide ranging potter,who produced a lot of excellent work.
Not much of his pottery work seems to come on to the market now,and that which does still seems to be hankering after the prices he fetched in the boom years. His figures are still much in demand tho.
The V&A has a substantial amount of his work.

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?offset=0&limit=45&narrow=1&extrasearch=&q=charles+vyse&commit=Search&quality=1&objectnamesearch=&placesearch=&after=&after-adbc=AD&before=&before-adbc=AD&namesearch=&materialsearch=&mnsearch=&locationsearch=

That's a lovely bowl SP. My Charles Vyse is a favourite - lovely lovely glaze effects, different front and back so hard to display, need a mirror behind it. I understand his wife Nell was the glaze chemist, while he threw the vessels. I've also read that the Leach fraternity were rather sniffy about them. Marked 'C V 1930'. 4.3cm (height) 12cm (diameter).

Vyse was a friend of Staite Murray, which might explain the "sniffy". Yours a Guildford piece?

A chun bowl that I sold recently: -






Mark is C VYSE CHELSEA

.......... and a more unusual brush decorated piece: -

..... and over 16 months later the mark!

Lovely Celadon pot By Charles Vyse, quite a fat thing at 11cm tall. If it's a tea cup then they must have liked a lot of tea.

I think i purchased this Vyse figure more out of nostalgia than any other reason as we bought and sold a number of Vyse figures years ago in our dealing days and i have always been quite fond of them. Many collectors don't think that figurative pottery counts as studio ware but Vyse figures were made under studio conditions in small batches, Vyse was an exceptional sculptor exhibiting in the royal academy. Vyse figures were only available from gallery exhibitions. His figures fall into two camps those depicting street sellers and fairground characters and others of Satyrs or fauns in various configurations for the art deco market, all were mostly supplied on ebonised bases.

photos,

Remarkable, to me at least, the difference between some of these pieces.
The green studio bowl two above, then the figure above my response, wow.
I remember coming across some early Carter Stabler figures at auction, some ten years or more back, I had no idea who they were by at the time, as I'd only purchased more modern Poole pieces. I learnt a bit that day.
Not in the same league as Mr Vyse though, from what I'm seeing here. Maybe that's a poor choice of words. I don't want to upset any ardent Poole enthusiasts.

The studio pottery fans mainly think of his studio pottery work and the chinese inspired pieces. Yet his fugurines are far more appreciated by the market. They sell for thousands now. They certainly have a great deal of character. Is there a difference in his pre and post war work?
As his wife Nell had quite an input into the pre-war Chelsea pieces.

Interestingly, there is a Richard Dennis small book published in 1974 on a Charles Vyse exhibition. Almost exactly the same figure Croker is illustrated as lot 23 La Foile Bergere. 12 ins high on a wooden stand and incised C Vyse Chelsea 1927.

hi, I find the pre war figures more attractive , his collaboration with Barbara Waller post war changed the character of the figures although still popular. As you say nell had a big input in regard to the painting of the figures and also as a chemist developing the glazes on the Chinese pots. I remember the exhibition book and i did have a copy but now presumed lost. The main market for these figures was and still is America.

I'm not surprised the figurines sell for such good money, the quality is outstanding.

Yet I wonder if they do not look somewhat old fashioned? Is it nostalgia that sells them? Given that Doulton figures now literally sell for peanuts, it is quite striking how much Vyse figures go for. You are talking about £thousands. Whereas his pottery - of a similar really high quality- fetches a fraction of that.

Yes they can look a bit old fashioned and fussy in our modern interiors ,Vyse designed a couple of figures for Noke at Doultons and one 'The return of Persephone' still fetches very high prices when it comes on the market. A Figure such as 'seahorse' can look stunning in an art deco designed interior. His figures portraying London street life and gypsies of the time are very appealing and popular with collectors in the U.S. The most common of his figures is 'the balloon woman' , because this was made in a larger issue , some others were made in very small numbers .His figures were never aimed at the mass market and the prices in the 1930's were high .

Whilst certain members of my family are quite staunch collectors of figurines, Doulton, Lladro, Worcester... I don't share their enthusiasm. Having said that, we've had and displayed some of the old Doulton, The Balloon Lady for one, as you mention Croker. Others such as Mendicant, The Potter ...and a few more. I'm not sure just how many CV had a hand in, but they are like night and day when compared to some of the more modern bits that don't do a lot for me personally.

Hi, The Doulton balloon lady was not a Vyse design, his balloon lady was different and taken from his observations and drawings he had of street sellers. He only designed two figures for Doulton, one called 'bedtime' which is very common and another called 'The return of Persephone' which is very rare and will probably cost you the price of a car.

Wow, you are not wrong, £7,500 at Bonham's 5 years ago. Couldn't help but Google after your comment.
Lovely looking figure, but that is a lot of money for a figurine.
I'll keep my eyes peeled at the boot in the morning, you never know

0ne sold in 2003 for £12450, the normal price range for a Vyse figure is approx £ 800-£8000 depending on the subject , most are under £3000.

I had a look at his version of the Balloon Woman, very different from the one I owned.
Must say I prefer his version, she looks so broad and a little comical, really charming.

I know nothing about the man, but notice he lived a fairly long life for someone born in the 19th century.

Four Charles Vyse pots from the Bill Ismay collection at COCA