Celtic pottery (Newlyn & Mousehole)

Groggy clay

Groggy clay refers to a type of clay body that contains a high percentage of grog, which is a gritty, coarse material made from crushed and ground fired pottery or other ceramic materials. The addition of grog to clay serves several purposes:

Reduces shrinkage: Grogged clay has larger particles, which helps reduce drying and firing shrinkage, making it less prone to cracking.
Increases strength: The grittiness of grog gives the clay body added strength, making it easier to work with, especially for hand-building and sculpting.
Adds texture: Groggy clay can produce a unique, rustic texture, often referred to as “tooth,” which can be desirable in certain ceramic pieces.

My head arrived today and is possibly my favorite Bill Fisher piece so far

I finally found a bowl with the rare seahorse design

You should have said you were looking.
That's been on there for a year or more. But I thought you didn't like those unglazed ones.

The bowl arrived today and is exactly what I hoped for, a Mousehole seahorse, signed by Maggi and dated 1961

Here's one I've had a while, but not shown before.
But now I've got this new cabinet, I can have it on display.

A huge 14inch 'charger' with Lion design. Signed on back W M FISHER, with a Wharf Cottage label.
Not dated, but the label probably makes it late 1950's.
Probably one of the best dishes I've ever seen.






Basically the same design as on this mug, but being larger the design is more elaborate.