Rupert Toovey’s Articles – Page 11

Clarice Cliff, Designer and Industrialist

A Clarice Cliff Fantasque Umbrellas and Rain pattern seven-piece sandwich set, circa 1930

This week we are returning to the story of Clarice Cliff, one of the most influential women designers and industrialists of the 20th century. Born in 1899 she grew up in Tunstall. Her father worked in an iron foundry whilst her mother took in washing.

When she was thirteen Clarice Cliff started working in the pottery industry as a gilder and studied art and sculpture at the Burslem School of Art. Clarice Cliff’s talent was acknowledged by Newport pottery and A J Wilkinson who gave her a studio in 1927. It was here that she began to paint her free hand patterns employing on-glaze enamels which were much brighter than underglaze colours. Her wares were immediately popular. She called her work Bizarre and ‘The Bizarre by Clarice Cliff’ stamp was used between 1928 and 1936.

In 1930, Clarice Cliff, with talent and determination rose to the position of art director of the Newport pottery and A J Wilkinson

Despite the financial pressures of the Great Depression and the high price of her wares Clarice Cliff‘s Bizarre ware continued to sell in volume across the world in leading department stores. Her ability to model allowed her to embrace the modern influences from Europe.

A Clarice Cliff Bizarre Sunray pattern jug of tapering form, circa 1930

Clarice Cliff had a strong interest in modern art and her modernist designs were influenced by Cubists like Henri Matisse, De Stijl, Sonia Delauney and the French design firm La Maison Desny. She collaborated with many contemporary artists including Dame Laura Knight, adapting their paintings for her pottery.

These bold new artistic styles informed her colourful cubist landscape designs. The Bizarre Sunray pattern jug is typical of Clarice Cliff during this period. It dates from around 1930. The abstract landscape design is based on a New York skyline and features a bold black skyscraper. It realised £500 at Tooveys.

The vibrant, exquisitely conceived Clarice Cliff Fantasque Umbrellas and Rain pattern sandwich set from 1930 brings together the influences of modernist art and the art deco. It was sold for £700 at Tooveys.

The first retrospective of Clarice Cliff’s work was held at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery in 1972. Today, women artists and designers are being reassessed as the often overlooked stories of these important women artists, designers and entrepreneurs in the 20th century are reclaimed.

If you would like advice on collecting or acquiring Clarice Cliff Bizarre ware contact Toovey’s specialist Jo Hardy by telephoning 01903 891955 or emailing auctions@tooveys.com.

Andrew Bernardi to Open the 2023 Festival of Chichester

The Stradivarius Piano Trio – Andrew Bernardi, Maria Marchant and Jonathan Few. will be joined at Chichester Cathedral by his Music Group and The Trinity Laban Ensemble

Andrew Bernardi is excitedly preparing to open the Festival of Chichester with a performance of the English composer Gustav Holst’s The Planets on 10th June at 7.30pm. Tickets have just gone on sale for the concert which will be held in the Nave of Chichester Cathedral.

It is always an extraordinary privilege to hear Andrew and his fellow musicians at the Cathedral. Professor Nic Pendlebury will be conducting this orchestral work with Andrew Bernardi’s Music Group and the Trinity Laban Ensemble.

Nic Pendlebury is one of the nation’s leading contemporary electric, classical viola players and a celebrated conductor. He is no stranger to Sussex audiences having contributed to Andrew Bernardi’s Shipley Arts Festival over many years.

Andrew has always promoted the music of leading 20th century English composers like Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Ireland, Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst and his friend Arnold Bax, each of whom drew inspiration from Sussex and her landscape.

The Planets, Op. 32, is composed in seven movements and was written between 1914 and 1917. Each movement in the Suite is named after a planet in our Solar System and its astrological character.

Holst was no stranger to Chichester and its Cathedral and it will be exciting to hear his work performed in the Nave featuring George Morton’s stunning chamber arrangement of the piece.

The Mark Chagall Window © Rupert Toovey/Chichester Cathedral

The Cathedral became famous for its patronage of the arts during the 20th century under Dean Walter Hussey’s guidance. The Marc Chagall window was his last commission for the Cathedral and is based on Psalm 150 “O praise God in his holiness… Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” – inspiring words for any musician.

The programme will also include Eliana Echeverry’s new work The Lost Planet for electric viola and ensemble. Nic’s own transcription of Terry Riley’s Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector, arranged for solo electric viola and sonic delay will also be part of the evening..

Tickets are expected to sell quickly, especially for the preferred seats, so visit bernardimusicgroup.com/event/festival-of-chichester-opening-concert to book yours and explore the concerts in this year’s Shipley Arts Festival.

Images courtesy of the Dean and Chapter of Chichester Cathedral.

Fine English Porcelain Collection

A collection of First Period Worcester blue and white porcelain from the Donald Church and Michael Godfrey Collections

A fine collection of 18th century English porcelain is to be sold at Toovey’s from the Donald Church and Michael Godfrey Collections on Thursday 25th May. The collection includes examples from Nantgarw, and many other leading British makers but at its heart is a beautiful array of Worcester porcelain.

The Worcester porcelain factory was the most long-lived and amongst the finest English factories. It was founded in 1751 and in 1752 it took over Lund’s Bristol Porcelain Factory with his secrets for making soft-paste porcelain employing Cornish soapstone, a formula used until 1784.

The first period era of the factory is known as the Dr Wall Period (1751-1776) after John Wall who was amongst the founder shareholders. The factory was managed by William Davis and specialised in useful wares, especially for the tea table as well as decorative vases. The pieces were first decorated with chinoiserie designs in underglaze blue and colourful enamels. From 1757 they pioneered transfer decoration initially in black but from 1760 in underglaze blue. The printed decorations were designed and engraved by R Hancock. Prices for 18th century Worcester porcelain like the pieces illustrated, for the most part, remain highly and accessible and give expression to the vibrant, creative qualities of 18th century English art and industry brought together.

They also provide a vital decorative element to the textural, layered quality of English Country House taste which was so important in informing Michael Godfrey and Donald Church’s collecting passions.

Their great friendship was born out of a shared joy in collecting and National Trust trips.

Donald Church had a remarkable career working with many of the leading interior decorators of the post-war period including the hugely influential John Fowler of Colefax and Fowler.

Donald left his position as John’s assistant but remained a life-long friend working for him as a consultant over many years providing watercolour designs and drawings including studies for John Fowler’s interior designs for several National Trust properties.

18th century Worcester decorated with Chinoiserie designs in colourful enamels

Michael Godfrey’s collection, too, is informed by exceptional taste..

After the great success of the sale of their fine Georgian furniture and Works of Art I am excited to see how their 18th century British porcelain and paintings will be received.

They are to be sold together in a series of specialist auctions in May. The catalogue will be online at tooveys.com from Saturday 13th May – search The Michael Godfrey & Donald Church Collections to delight in their connoisseurship.

God Save the King!

The medieval Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey

Throughout his life HM King Charles III has provided the most remarkable servant leadership with a deep sense of calling, vocation and stewardship.

This coming Saturday he will be crowned King in the name of God. As he is anointed with sacred Holy Oils, he will promise before God, this nation and the Commonwealth to uphold our traditions and to work tirelessly, as he has always done, for the common good.

King Charles has been and remains a visionary. Since the 1970s he has promoted organic farming and recognised a need for better stewardship of the world and our resources. The Prince’s Trust has linked enterprise with the environment. At the Trust’s heart is a belief that every young person should have the chance to succeed with employment linked to sustainability, and that communities are supported by empowering their youth.

King Charles’ vision is aspirational on a societal level with a wholeness to his approach. Heritage, conservation, education, health and well being and social inclusion work in concert with the environment and countryside. His approach to vernacular, regional architecture has been to build buildings that build communities.

These values are at the heart of his Christian faith but the King has also recognised that this wisdom and beauty is to be found amongst people of all faiths and none however they are called or inspired.

View from the quire screen east towards the High Altar, Westminster Abbey

King Charles will be crowned at Westminster Abbey seated on the Coronation chair. The chair was commissioned by King Edward I as a ‘relic case’ to house the Stone of Scone, an ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy. The stone was captured by King Edward I in 1296, and together with the chair has been central to coronation ceremonies in England and the United Kingdom ever since.

The chair would have originally been highly decorated by King Edward I’s royal painter, Walter of Durham. Much of the chair would have been gilded. The original gilding can be discerned in the surviving patterns of birds and plants.

The Coronation Chair is the oldest piece of furniture in the United Kingdom still used for its original purpose. It has been altered over the centuries. Take for example the four gilt lions representing England added in the early 16th century. The graffiti on the back of the chair was the work of Westminster schoolboys and visitors to the Abbey in the 18th and 19th centuries.

HM King Charles III’s Coronation will look to the past as we celebrate and embrace the future proclaiming God Save the King!

Images courtesy of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey.

Borde Hill Coronation Plant Fair

Borde Hill Gardens will be holding their annual plant fair in celebration of our gardening King on Sunday 7th May 2023 between 10am and 3pm.

The gardens at Borde Hill were first laid out by Andrewjohn Stephenson Clarke’s great grandfather, Colonel Stephenson R. Clarke. He purchased the house and land in 1893. Between 1893 and 1937 he sponsored many of the Great Plant Collectors’ expeditions. They returned with rare specimens brought back from their travels in the Himalayas, China, Burma, Tasmania and the Andes. Many of these plant species are still at the heart of the collection which make up the seventeen acres of these Grade II star listed gardens.

This spirit of adventure is still apparent today. Andrewjohn’s wife, Eleni, a geologist and trained horticulturalist, finds the gardens inspiring. She comments “This has always been an experimental garden, a place to try new plants. Borde Hill is constantly changing and looking to the future.”

Whilst our plant collecting might necessarily be on a more modest scale than Andrewjohn’s grandfather the Plant Fair provides a wonderful opportunity to add rare and beautiful new stock with specialist nurseries including: Plantbase, Hardy Cottage Garden Plants, Phoenix Plants, Clare’s Chillies, Mrs Mitchell’s Kitchen Garden, and Chailey Iris Garden attending. The Sussex branch of the Hardy Plant Society will be there too.

The Coronation Sunday Plant Fair to be held at Borde Hill Gardens

HM King Charles III has long understood that Gardens are places of blessing, invitation, hospitality and encounter for us and for nature.

Borde Hill’s displays are wonderful in the late spring, early summer and there will be much to delight alongside the Plant Fair. Eleni says “There are two beautiful new designs to see by multiple RHS gold medal winner Chris Beardshaw for the Italian Garden and Paradise Walk. The Azalea Ring will be a kaleidoscope of colour with the deciduous Kurume and Knapp Hill azaleas – flowering rhododendrons are dotted around the garden. The woodland will be carpeted with bluebells and anemones plus many flowering trees like Davidia involucrata.”

Borde Hill’s gardens bless you. As you walk your conversations cannot fail to be informed by the beauty of the place. And there is plenty to inspire the keen horticulturist whether it’s the rare species, the subtle effects of the planting, or the floral compositions before you.

Borde Hill Garden is the perfect Coronation Sunday destination.

The Coronation Plant Fair will be held at Borde Hill Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1XP on Sunday 7th May 2023. You can buy tickets on the day, or in advance. For more information visit www.bordehill.co.uk or telephone 01444 450326.