Pierrot thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Pierrot

Plate
ca. 1955- ca. 1960 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

White earthenware tea plate, rimless with notched edge. Decorated overall with hatched circles in black, some coloured yellow, purple or green, underglaze printed.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePierrot (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Earthenware with underglaze printed decoration
Brief description
'Pierrot' pattern plate, earthenware with underglaze printed decoration, made by James Broadhurst & Sons Ltd., England, ca. 1955-1960.
Physical description
White earthenware tea plate, rimless with notched edge. Decorated overall with hatched circles in black, some coloured yellow, purple or green, underglaze printed.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 16.6cm
  • Height: 1.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
'J. B. & S. / "Pierrot" / England' with a Pierrot's hat (Printed)
Credit line
Given by Oliver Watson
Historical context
Plate is representative of the consumer demand for Contemporary tableware and consequent boom in the production of these goods in post-war Britiain. Bright simple decoration is a predictable reaction to the austerity of the wares enforced by government regulations until 1948. In order to speed up production, manufacturers used stencil patterns and air-brushing techniques. This decoration would most likely have only been used for tea sets: the loud colours and patterns would have been considered too strong for formal dining.
[Susan McCormack, 'British Design at Home', p.143]
Bibliographic reference
Walker, Susannah. Contemporary/Moderne: British Mass-produced Tableware of the 1950s. Thesis (M.A.) - V&A/RCA Course in the History of Design, 1990.
Collection
Accession number
C.160-1992

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Record createdFebruary 4, 2000
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