Studio Pottery Bowl Sgrafiito, signed

Any ideas on this piece, signed on reverse what looks like F with something else beneath it. Heavy sgraffito with a figure and a bird, somewhat outsider Art. 10" diameter. Nice piece. Looks English 1940s 1950s.

Handwritten marks like that are often a sign it's a hobby potter, but the dish looks well made. Possibly made by an experienced potter and decorated by someone else?

To add, Bernard Forrester had a handwritten F mark but this looks to be written in another hand

Paulbenotto - I think this is nice - Naomi is that duck by a hobby potter?

Which duck? The bird on the plate?

yeah

Thanks for the input. Having seen more hobby pots than I care to think about I can't imagine this could fall into that category the design is so assured. Continental perhaps?

I tend to agree, it doesn't strike me as a hobby pot

Continental is a possibility. The lady looks a bit Eastern European. Hungarian, maybe?

Our next door neighbours are Hungarian and Maria looks loads more attractive than that.

It's a fun thing. The style is very western European. The image after a careful inspection appears to be a woman in water with what appear to be creatures swimming around. Could be a lady in a lake with a duck looking on from the bank? I had thought your typical Mary and child religious scene but have discounted that. Looks to be well thrown and the design added by an experienced hand. If its linked with the Arthurian lady in the lake myths (first thing that springs to mind) then you have Cornwall and across the sea in France as possible origins. Like I say a fun thing that I can only guess came from our part of Europe.

To me it looks very 1950s and like some of the pottery that was being made around London at the time. The stoneware body looks British too but the throwing rings suggest that the thrower wasn't too proficient.

studio-pots wrote:the throwing rings suggest that the thrower wasn't too proficient.

I recently sold a Wally V Cole bowl with identical rings and he was a life long quality potter. Not sure it's an indication of skill? But its more your wheel house than mine.