Claypits pottery, Ewenny (Wales).

hiya
      to paraphrase ronseal I know exactly what it says on the vase, about this vase but it has a simple beauty and naivety that I think makes it a good piece just need some help to confirm it.
here is a photos
1) base of the vase which says "claypits pottery ewenny"
2) the front which says "blodau mews"
3) the back
4) the top
thanks in advance for your help

https://i.servimg.com/u/f78/18/27/64/20/100_2615.jpghttps://i.servimg.com/u/f78/18/27/64/20/100_2611.jpghttps://i.servimg.com/u/f78/18/27/64/20/100_2612.jpghttps://i.servimg.com/u/f78/18/27/64/20/100_2614.jpg

I have a few pieces of Claypits Ewenny pottery. I love the rustic nature. Based in the village of Ewenny, Bridgend, S Wales, they've been going for several centuries. It's one of two remaining potteries in Ewenny (the other is simply called Ewenny Pottery). The really collectible pieces are the ones with yellow slip and sgraffito decoration &/or inscribed mottos, and their animals, made in the 19th century and earlier. The 20th century pieces are sadly under appreciated, but the up side is it won't cost a fortune to collect them.
You can find more info on their website - www.ewennypottery.com

the wording on the front, blodau mews may possibly be a dialect form of blodyn mewn perhaps meaning flowers within.

when you say under appreciated what sort of price are we taking about please I have not been able to trace any for sale recently of this type last auction sale I found was 2008 and that was a green version cant find a blue one like this at all
thanks

You can pick them up for under a tenner at antiques fairs. The colour doesn't make much difference to the price, but there are collectors of motto ware who will pay a bit more for ones with inscriptions.
They did go up to silly prices a few years back, when Americans started collecting them along with the Devon motto ware pottery, but they've gone out of fashion since then.
I know some collectors who are still pricing their pieces in the £20-£30 price range at the antiques fairs, but they're selling very little of it at that price.

I can only see one photo (of the top). Can you upload one of the motto, please.

It's the sort of piece you'd find on ebay rather than at an auction house, unless it was part of a job lot.

ebay don't seem to have any either at the moment and I just think paying for sites like for auction results is ridicule's when its info that's public any way. here is the picture of the motto







thanks

Your piece looks quite large but relatively plain so I think Naomi is correct saying that a price of £10 is all that you are realistically going to get for it if you tried to sell it. You can always get lucky of course if 2 people are bidding against each other but it is really something to keep at the moment.

Welcome to the forum.

I agree with the others, but price depends how your selling it, £20-30 sounds realistic if your selling it retail, as it sounds like your planning to do.

This section is more for attribution and information, people don't like to give valuations, as these are not the sort of items with fairly fixed prices and can vary greatly.

at the moment I am undecided on its fate as it looks lovely on my window sell just wanted to know roughly so I know if I paid too much as it was a shot in the dark never seen one before and got to justify it to the missus lol

If you like it then I think that it is something to keep at the moment.

As for paying too much, you tend to learn through experience and making mistakes means that you are less likely to forget. However, having been a dealer for more years than I like to remember you will never eliminate making them entirely. Only last Wednesday I paid too much and I'm supposed to know about studio pottery.

You only pay too much if you're intending to sell it on. And buying retail you'll always lose money in the short term. But if you like it, then it doesn't matter. I've overpaid for stuff that I've just got to have now, and never regretted it.

The inscription reads, blodau melus, which sort of means 'sweet flowers'. :)

Hi,
I've just picked up a lovely little slipware Clay Pits Ewenny bowl for £20. I had come across Ewenny Pottery before but didn't realise Clay Pits was a different pottery in Ewenny, so I'm just learning about them! Can anyone give me some idea of the age of this bowl? A quick internet search and I've come across similar, most not with an idea of a date but one which suggested early 20th century. Could it be this early?
Also in terms of worth they seem to go at auction or retail anything from £40 to £200 (obviously the more expensive are high end antiques dealers though.) Is this to do with age, rarity or simply who is selling and where it's being sold? Sorry, clueless here so any help welcomed!

I think it’s from the 70s. There were several potteries set up at Ewenny from the late 19thC to the late 20thC
As for value, check sold prices on eBay.

NaomiM wrote:I think it’s from the 70s. There were several potteries set up at Ewenny from the late 19thC to the late 20thC
As for value, check sold prices on eBay.

According to this the name of the Claypits Pottery was changed to "Vale Pottery" in 1962, when it was taken over by Reg Southcliffe of the Creigiau Pottery, and later became the Helyg Pottery.
http://www.studiopottery.com/cgi-bin/mp.cgi?item=302

Hi, does this mean the bowl would be pre-60s?
Thanks for the help!
Cat

Very interesting. Helyg Pottery was operated by Eric Stockl