Era Art Pottery Co






 

Location and period of operation:

Era Art Pottery

Stoke

1930

1947*

 

NOTE: Era Art Pottery ceased trading in 1947 - although very little was produced after 1940, probably as a result of the contraction of the British pottery industry following the outbreak of war in September 1939. 

Era Art were a decorating house at the Crown Devon Pottery in Sutherland Street, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

  • Era Art Pottery was wholly owned by S. Fielding & Co - Era did not manufacture, it decorated biscuit ware manufactured by Crown Devon. 

  • Era Art marketed ware under its own name and also produced cellulose decorated ware for its parent company Fielding (Crown Devon) 

  • Separate ranges of shapes and patterns were designed for Era although there was some interchange between the two companies and sometimes the Era mark is overprinted on a  Fielding's Devon Ware backstamp.

  • The trade-name "Ranleigh Ware" (briefly used by Era Art Pottery) was reintroduced early in 1964, on pottery marketed by Baifield Productions, who were also a subsidiary of S. Fielding & Co., Ltd. 

 

 

 


 

 


cabbage leaf & with tomato bowl (with several drainage holes) and plate 

Hand Painted
Era Ware
England 

 

 


 

 


matt glaze, hand painted Deco style jug 

Era Ware
Mad in England 


 


 

 


cabbage leaf & tomato serving dishes 

these cabbage leaf & tomato dishes were popular - these three
similar style examples were produced by different manufacturers 


Hand Painted
Era Ware
England 


Carlton Ware
Made in England
Trade Mark
Registered
Australian Design
Registration Applied For


Fieldings
Crown Devon
Made in England
Trade Mark
Reg Applied For

 

 


 

 

 


hand painted  deco style jug 

this jug design & pattern was also sold by S. Fielding
- Era Art Pottery were a division/subsidiary of Fielding.


Era
Homecraft
Made in England

 this Era mark is overprinted on a 
Fielding's Devon Ware backstamp  

 

 


 

 

Cellulose decorated ware   

Era Art Pottery decorated ware for its parent
company: Fieldings (Crown Devon)

 


Sutherland Figure number 156 'Carnival' 
sometimes called 'Balloon girls'

Wear and loss of decoration on the cellulose finish can be seen, especially on the front of the legs and arms.  

Filding (Crown Devon) introduced a range of figures which were carefully modelled, well-decorated and relatively expensive.

Initially they were produced in the conventional manner, i.e. biscuit fired, handpainted, glazed and re-fired (sometimes involving three firings) 

A less expensive alternative was subsequently made available. 

The cost of producing these figures and nursery ware was reduced by having a single firing and then spraying with cellulose directly onto the biscuit ware

This decoration was carried out by Fielding's subsidiary company, the Era Art Pottery. 

This cheaper technique resulted a less durable product which is demonstrated by the poor condition of many of the surviving examples. 

Over time the cellulose finish often crazed and flaked and became yellowed.  

Many of the models were also produced after World War II although the cellulose decorated Sutherland figures were discontinued c. 1940.

 

Source: Crown Devon - The History of S. Fielding & Co; Susan Hill

 

 

 


planter/vase with full figure image of Mickey 
with hands on hips seated on brick wall

cellulose decorated

Mickey figure is the same design as that produced by Fielding, Crown Devon


Era Art Pottery
Made under Licence 
by Walt Disney

811


photos courtesy: 
Bob and Zdenka Azzopardi

 

 


 

 

Marks used on ware for identification:

 


Art Ware
Era Co
Made in England
Non-Porous, Deco

1930+ 


Era Ware
Hand Painted
England

1930+ 


Era Homecraft
Made in England

1936+ 


Era Ware
Made in England

1936+ 

 


 


matt glaze, hand painted Deco style jug 

Ranleigh Ware
Made in England

 

 

  
Ranleigh Ware

1939-40 and 1946-7

Godden notes: "The trade-name 'Ranleigh Ware' was reintroduced early in 1964, on pottery marketed by BAIFIELD PRODUCTIONS LTD., a subsidiary of S. Fielding & Co., Ltd" 

Geoffrey Godden; Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks.

 

 




1954 OS map showing the  location of The Devon Pottery in Sutherland Street

Era Art Pottery and S. Fielding & Co operated from these works

 

 


Questions, comments, contributions? email: Steve Birks