CERAMICS
FUNCTIONAL & DECORATIVE
Keith Murray designed a wide range of decorative and functional items, the majority of which were vases and bowls. The arranging of flowers and fruit in the 1930's was as common a practice as it is today and so it was only natural that these would be prime products to design. The large dish in the background, shape 3812, was designed for use as both a melon tray and for floating flowers ,something many of us might have thought was a thing of today. The lidded pots in the foreground, shape 3866, were believed to be storage pots, but recently found advertising articles of the 1930's reveal them to be powder puff pots. The large vase, shape 3820 (centre) is a truly wonderful piece. It's size and shape allow it to stand alone as a centrepiece.
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Very elegant, classical forms were also used by Murray. This group here demonstrate Keith Murray's ability to interpret classical shapes in a modern way. Reminiscent of Romanesque urns and tazza's, they were also forms popularly used by Wedgwood, more especially for their Jasperwares. | |
TABLEWARE
Coffee set. This coffee set is the only, known, complete coffee set designed solely by Keith Murray. It has the band of turned grooves around the waist of all pieces (except for the saucers). This set has platinum lustre handles. Although all the pieces in this set carry a Keith Murray backstamp you may occasionally find unmarked pieces.
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Dessert set The set (below) comprises six dessert plates and one comport. The comport is raised on a cylindrical foot and has an extra band of ridges around the border.
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Beer & Ale set. A set includes a jug and six tankards. This shape is probably the most abundant of all Keith Murrays designs that you will find these days. As with many sets, these items could have been bought individually from retailers. The mugs could also be bought as boxed sets of six.
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Photograph courtesy of Richard & Julie Cook
COMMEMORATIVE WARES
A number of Keith Murray shapes were used for Commemorative motifs. Some of the most popular of these shapes were the beer/ale jug (3810) with three grooves at the base and the matching mug. Subjects used were Edward VIII, George V & George VI, and Queen Mary. The designs were either printed onto the body shapes, sometimes with handpainted highlights or applied as portrait reliefs. |
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ADVERTISING & SOUVENIR WARES
| Also made were many advertising and souvenir wares. Some of these can be quite fascinating and a wide range were produced for various companies and organisations world-wide. Subjects range from Coats of arms to heraldic and topographic scenes. A number of designs were also produced by some of Wedgwoods more famous designers, including Victor Skellern and Eric Ravilious. Pictured below are three views of a mug produced for a South African game reserve. Note the three monkeys which appear to be climbing up the handle. |
View of Wedgwood factory facade. Lithograph design by Victor Skellern C.1940 Photograph courtesy of Greg Stevenson |
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Below is another group of wares depicting coats of arms.
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Photograph © Max Buten
OTHER TABLEWARE
Annular. Annular ware was one of the first projects Keith Murray was involved in with Wedgwood. Designs for the tableware had already been started by Tom Wedgwood and John Goodwin. Murray was initially asked to assist with the design of the vegetable tureens.
Annular is characterised by it's equally spaced ridges and unusual, modern styling. It should be noted that Keith Murray did not help design the coffee ware.
The shape was designed especially for a French store and was possibly one of the first "modern" shapes designed by Wedgwood. Later it was also used as a blank onto which patterns and border designs could be applied. One such pattern was made for the Royal Institute of British Architects. A group of wares with graduated silver banding was made to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935. This decoration can also be found on shapes designed by Keith Murray. A silver lustre wreath pattern was designed by John Goodwin, one of the original Annular ware designers.
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Annular ware was produced in some quantity in various shades of matt green, matt straw, silver grey and moonstone colourways. Eventually, flatware in the moonstone colourway had to be withdrawn due to the soft, matt glaze becoming easily marked by cutlery during everyday use.
CERAMICS |
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