Unusual mug marked Oxford Gallery 2000 - Philomena Pretsell

Not sure what to make of this - I can't find a makers mark only the works in the decoration.

that gold decoration is really something

When did the Oxford Ceramics Gallery open? Maybe they commissioned someone to make a set of mugs to mark the occasion. Worth contacting them to ask.
http://www.oxfordceramics.com/

Just sent them an email. Not sure I'd like to drink my Darjeeling out of it!

The present Oxford Ceramics gallery was not around in 2000. But there was an earlier incarnation of a prestigious Oxford studio pottery gallery which ran through the 90's and up to somewhere around 2005 or so, when it closed on the death of the owner. That owner's collection is now in the Ashmolean Museum
So this is a millennial mug from that gallery, which was very important studio gallery in its day.

That's very interesting - I wonder who made it for the Gallery.

I'm thinking this might be be by Philomena Pretsell?

I would have thought someone more local. And a hand builder

This looks very similar in style… it's the gold and the use of photographs. The mug I have has a photograph of a woman inside - you can just see it on the last photo I posted.

http://www.studiopottery.co.uk/images/Philomena/Pretsell/8632

I emailed Philomena Pretsell and she has confirmed it is by her. She was commissioned in 2000 to make between 10-20 of these for a Gallery in Oxford. I have asked her which gallery and who the owner was.