Contrast thumbnail 1
Contrast thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Contrast

Coffee Cup and Saucer
1974 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Queensberry Hunt are the leading UK ceramic design practice of the post-war period. Formed in 1966 by david Queensberry, then Professor of Ceramics at the RCA, and his former student Martin hunt. the partnership have designed ceramics for major producers and retailers around the globe. these include Wedgwood, Hornsea, Rosenthal, Habitat, Crate and Barrel, John Lewis and Jamie Oliver. Their practice spans a period of immense change in the industry, brought about by the adoption of new technologies, and the shift in production towards East Asia. Working in an essentially modernist aesthetic, Queensberry Hunt have been responsible for some of the most familiar and best-selling tableware of recent decades.
Developed for production at Hornsea’s new factory in Lancaster, ‘Contrast’ became the firm’s best selling oven-to-tableware range world-wide. The design emphasised the chocolate brown ‘Vitramic’ body created by Colin Rawson, the clay being vitrified in a high-temperature firing and polished to pebble-like smoothness. The polishing was achieved by vibrating the pieces in containers loaded with ceramic pellets. The range won a Design Council Award in 1975.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Coffee Cup
  • Saucer
TitleContrast (series title)
Materials and techniques
Stoneware, glaze
Brief description
Coffee cup and saucer, 'Contrast', stoneware, designed by Martin Hunt and Colin Rawson, made by Hornsea Pottery Co. Ltd, Lancaster, 1974
Physical description
Coffee cup and saucer, of a chocolate brown 'Vitramic' stoneware body created by Colin Rawson, which has been vitrified in a high-temperature firing and polished to pebble-like smoothness. The polishing was achieved by vibrating the pieces in containers loaded with ceramic pellets.
This inner side of the cup and saucer is glazed white, also with white and black glazed banding around the outside of the cup and rim of the plate.
Marks and inscriptions
'LANCASTER VITRAMIC / (logo) / CONTRAST / 1977 / HORNSEA ENGLAND' (In white on base of both cup and saucer)
Gallery label
‘Contrast’ 1974 Designed by Martin Hunt and Colin Rawson Made by Hornsea Pottery Co. Ltd, Lancaster Stoneware Developed for production at Hornsea’s new factory in Lancaster, ‘Contrast’ became the firm’s best selling oven-to-tableware range world-wide. The design emphasised the chocolate brown ‘Vitramic’ body created by Colin Rawson, the clay being vitrified in a high-temperature firing and polished to pebble-like smoothness. The polishing was achieved by vibrating the pieces in containers loaded with ceramic pellets. The range won a Design Council Award in 1975. Museum nos. Circ.48 to 67, 123-1977. Given by Hornsea Pottery Co. Ltd(2012)
Credit line
Given by Queensberry Hunt
Object history
The range won a Design Council Award in 1975.
The range was exhibited in the Queensberry Hunt exhibition in the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2012.
Summary
Queensberry Hunt are the leading UK ceramic design practice of the post-war period. Formed in 1966 by david Queensberry, then Professor of Ceramics at the RCA, and his former student Martin hunt. the partnership have designed ceramics for major producers and retailers around the globe. these include Wedgwood, Hornsea, Rosenthal, Habitat, Crate and Barrel, John Lewis and Jamie Oliver. Their practice spans a period of immense change in the industry, brought about by the adoption of new technologies, and the shift in production towards East Asia. Working in an essentially modernist aesthetic, Queensberry Hunt have been responsible for some of the most familiar and best-selling tableware of recent decades.
Developed for production at Hornsea’s new factory in Lancaster, ‘Contrast’ became the firm’s best selling oven-to-tableware range world-wide. The design emphasised the chocolate brown ‘Vitramic’ body created by Colin Rawson, the clay being vitrified in a high-temperature firing and polished to pebble-like smoothness. The polishing was achieved by vibrating the pieces in containers loaded with ceramic pellets. The range won a Design Council Award in 1975.
Collection
Accession number
C.22:1&2-2014

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Record createdApril 1, 2014
Record URL
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