Clews Pottery Tunstall

I collected this a lot some years past.

Best known for their Chameleon Ware pots but there range is quite diverse.
Well known also for their square teapots or cubes, as used on cruise liners and trains. Also
their DUB - L - DEKR teapot, which is teapot on top of hot water jug.

I love this bowl and it's vibrant glaze. Indistinct backstamp but un doubtably 1930's. Round second design stamp.



A better known Chameleon ware vase, blue flame pattern, early 1930's.
Backstamp as first design stamp.




The numbers are representative of first digits = design then / and second digits = colour

There are known designs between 1 and 265 with gaps

Colour digits are 105 - green
113 - powder blue
116 - cobalt blue
117 - cream
125 - brown
127 - blue/grey, rarely seen
Therefore shown above is 11/113 number

11= flame 113 = powder blue

During the 1920's Egyptology was all the range so a range of "leather" bottle pots were produced.
This was circa 1926. These were known as Persian jugs and bottom stamped " Reproduction Old Persian"



There really is a lot to see and collect from Clews.

A good guide has been written by Hilary Calvert in her Chameleon Ware Art pottery Book.

Chameleon Ware vase

Greetings, all. We have a Cube, but it puzzles me a bit. I am new to this, so perhaps someone could enlighten me....

I presume it is a post-war piece, as there is no logo, just script. But I can't figure out if it was hotelware or a piece sold for domestic use. I would appreciate any clues about my Clews.
Thank you.

What a lovely teapot. Never seen one like that. Many British potteries made "cube"
teapots. It must have been a very popular shape at the time.
Intersting it has US and british Patent numbers. Have you researched the US one, just
to see what it relates to? Should be easy as it's also dated.

denbydump - The US Patent is just Robert Crawford Johnson's basic patent for the Cube shaped "Teapot, Coffee Pot and Like Vessel" - the application was dated 11/5/1917, granted 5/31/1921.

Good research, so was that to prevent US companies from copying the design?
It is certainly a pre-war item

That is correct. It is essentially a duplicate of the British Patent, and obtained for the same purpose.

I'll try to unearth one I have (i think Royal Winton) and take some pix.
T.G.Green pottery also made many teapots and sets in this Deco design.
Not sure if they were specifically "hotel ware" or just domestic production,
probably both.

I'm assuming from the style of the mark its 1920s date give or take 10yrs. Any idea of the manufacturer?

Looks similar to the glazes used on Chameleon Ware by Clews & Co.

RoyJ99 wrote:Looks similar to the glazes used on Chameleon Ware by Clews & Co.

Thank you. Found some early ones with similar glaze and marks, and, like this, without the later black ink stamp.

Hello, I bought this lovely vase from a yard sale at the weekend.
I think it was probably made in about the 1930s. It is a simple but elegant shape with two handles.
It has a semi-matt mottled blue glaze with hints of green. It stands 8" tall.
There is a faint, incomplete mark impressed into the base, along with the number 219.
Has anyone got any ideas who might have made this?
Thanks, Clare

Hi Clare, I think it might be Clews Chameleon ware, but they
usually have a black ink stamp.

Hard to read, but it might say Chameleon.

It is so similar to Clews that it could be but never seen that style of signature. It is also like Bretby of the period. Your date estimate is right though 1930's and if it is not by those mentioned here then it is someone copying them at the same time.

Could it be Belgium? I think they did similar pieces and shapes in the 30s

I think Clews Chameleon may be right despite the difference in marks. A quick scan of the net has found a vase in exactly this shape and very similar colouring. The foot is also the same, so I think Chameleon is right. Thank You for the quick replies!

I have also just found another Clews vase in this shape with the number 219 - so mystery solved!!

Hi,
Hoping someone can name the pattern on a Clews Chameleon Ware waisted vase - not sure how botanically correct the design is, but seems to depict large "Forget-me-not"-style bright blue and yellow flowers with brown leaves and brown Maple (?) leaves with thin black stems, beneath a bright blue collar with yellow and brown diamonds, all on a mottled beige background

approx. dimensions 140mm (height) x 110mm at its widest (body and rim)
(thickness about 2-3mm and appears slightly translucent in strong light!)

Impressed marks on base are (difficult to read) : [vase shape?] "346", "MADE IN ENGLAND"
with circular black backstamp "CHAMELEON WARE CLEWS & CO LTD TUNSTALL MADE IN ENGLAND", "HAND PAINTED" and inscribed 233/117 (see photos)
- not sure how old it is, but glaze shows some crazing in places - is this normal?

Thanks

These are generally ftom the 1930s, crazing is normal.
The pattern may not have a "name" as such but the numbers,
233/117 could well refer to a pattern and/or colourway.

A pretty Chameleon "Brown flame" 8 in vase.