WONDERS OF WORCESTER - December 2008

When the Worcester factory was founded in 1751 it is unlikely that the partners expected it to survive for as long as fifty years, let alone over two hundred and fifty. Its recipe for a long life was quality and versatility. The early products, using soapstone, had a charm which set them apart from their rivals. Worcester was never the very rich man's factory in the way Chelsea was, but it soon became the leader among its contemporaries, making affordable wares of great beauty.

As styles changed over the generations, so Worcester changed too. There were low points and high, but each decade produced objects of beauty, reflecting the taste of the times. The products of the late C19th and early C20th are increasingly appreciated by modern collectors. The influence of Henry Sandon, who as a young man knew many of the potters and decorators who worked during the first half of the twentieth century, has been part of this. He talks on TV with affection for decorators like Harry Stinton, famous for his painting of highland cattle. Horners' Acle auction on 6^th December had a good selection of pieces from this period, including a large pot pourri vase by Stinton.

The sale also offered interesting Worcester from the late C19th, including a pair of Parian figures. A good example of Worcester's versatility, these were made of an unglazed body in imitation of the white marble from the island of Paros. Modelled by Hadley and at 50cm high, they depicted a pair of middle eastern water carriers. In painting and sculpture the late C19th took a huge interest in the world of the Ottoman Empire and near eastern culture. These pieces reflected that orientalist tradition.

A few years ago the Worcester factory closed – a cause of great sadness to devotees of porcelain. Worcester in particular had a distinctive Englishness about it, rather like the music of Elgar who for a time lived in the nearby Malvern Hills. Elgar's statue in the centre of Worcester looks down towards the old factory, now survived by its museum and the many collectors of its porcelain throughout the world who continue to appreciate its charm.

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