Walking Ware thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 140, Factory Ceramics

Walking Ware

Teapot
1974 (designed), 1980 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

After training at the Central School of Art, London, in the early 1960s, Roger Michell and Danka Napiorkowska established Lustre Pottery together. Preoccupied with finely crafted early-industrial English earthenware, they set about developing clays and glazes in imitation of creamware. In 1974 they first made their 'Walking teaset', which became so popular that in order to satisfy demand they organised mass-production of the teaset by the industrial Staffordshire pottery, Carlton Ware. This version was hand-made for the Museum by the potters. Commercial production stopped in 1981. The quirky, Postmodern, and quintessentially English design can be interpreted as a reaction to the stonewares favoured by the studio pottery movement.


Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Teapot
  • Cover
TitleWalking Ware (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
cream-coloured earthenware, painted in colours, hand-made
Brief description
Teapot and cover, from the 'Walking teaset', Michell and Napiorkowska, designed 1974, made 1980
Physical description
White teapot and lid, with feet, painted with brown shoes and white socks with brown and black checks.
Dimensions
  • Height: 14.5cm
  • Width: 16.5cm
  • Depth: 10cm
Gallery label
Walking teaset Made by Danka Napiorkoswka, Made by Roger Michell, Malton, Yorkshire, 1980 Earthenware with painted decoration C.78,A,B,C,E and F-1981(23/05/2008)
Summary
After training at the Central School of Art, London, in the early 1960s, Roger Michell and Danka Napiorkowska established Lustre Pottery together. Preoccupied with finely crafted early-industrial English earthenware, they set about developing clays and glazes in imitation of creamware. In 1974 they first made their 'Walking teaset', which became so popular that in order to satisfy demand they organised mass-production of the teaset by the industrial Staffordshire pottery, Carlton Ware. This version was hand-made for the Museum by the potters. Commercial production stopped in 1981. The quirky, Postmodern, and quintessentially English design can be interpreted as a reaction to the stonewares favoured by the studio pottery movement.
Collection
Accession number
C.78A-1981

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Record createdFebruary 2, 2000
Record URL
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