Object Type
This vase, although functional, was made mainly for show. The decoration of rosebuds in a restrained 'art' style was made to appeal to the widest possible, yet fashion-conscious, home-owning market. Moorcroft's ceramics were sold through the London company Liberty & Co., which was a byword for artistically conscious design. Liberty's were responsible for the choice of several Moorcroft pattern names, including this one. The Bara pattern was claimed to be exclusive to Liberty's, although it was sold abroad by other retailers. Introduced in 1908, it was in production at MacIntyre's until 1913.

People
William Moorcroft (1872-1945) trained at the Burslem School of Art and won a scholarship to the National Art Training School at South Kensington. As a student he studied ancient and modern pottery and porcelain at the British and South Kensington Museums. He joined James MacIntyre & Co. as a designer in 1897. This gave him his first experience of raised slip decoration,a technique that became a lifelong speciality. He opened his own pottery at Cobridge in 1913. Many of Moorcroft's designs became synonymous with Liberty & Co., and the close connection with Liberty's stood him in good stead commercially throughout his career. After his death, his son Walter took over the family business, continuing many of William's designs.