60 - JUG: Royal Doulton, Burslem, c. 1930–40

Summary

Earthenware, moulded and painted underglaze. ‘Harvest’ pattern. Marks: ‘Designed by/Frank Brangiuyn. R.A.’ and ‘ROYAL/DOULTON/ENGLAND’ printed in dark green; ‘D 5011’ painted in darkgreen. Height 21.8 cm. C. 12–1980.

‘Harvest’ pattern, introduced in 1930, was one of a range of designs for tableware and ornaments commissioned by Doulton's from Frank Brangwyn RA between 1928 and 1935. Brangwyn was best known as a mural painter, but had been involved in the design of furniture, textiles and interiors since the beginning of the century. His employment by Doulton's was an unusual step, because the Burslem factory had its own design studio and had rarely commissioned designs from outsiders.

Brangwyn's tablewares were intended for ‘people of quite moderate means’ and were priced accordingly. A teaset for twelve cost £3.15s.od. They had simple forms which could be made by industrial processes and gained their individuality from lightly-incised and hand-painted decoration. ‘Harvest’ pattern was well-received by the critics, but it was not a commercial success and was withdrawn from production in 1940. This was probably because the design fell between two stools. It was very different from traditional tableware, but not sufficiently avant-garde to compete with the modernistic wares being produced by A.J. Wilkinson's Newport works, Gray's Pottery or Wood & Sons.