Rare Vintage Welsh Studio Pottery Floral Tureen by Pauline Paterson, Black Mountain Pottery

This is an exceptionally beautiful piece of Welsh studio pottery by Pauline Paterson of Black Mountain Pottery, Talgarth, Brecon, where she has worked from the 1980s onwards. This lidded tureen or casserole dish, it is one of those pieces where every surface has been considered and decorated with incredible attention to detail.

The rounded body has the most wonderful soft blue-green glaze, layered with cream, earthy brown and tiny speckles, with delicate hand-painted floral decoration drifting around the surface. The small sculpted handles are worked beautifully into the form, while the lid has its own richer floral decoration and a wonderfully substantial, hand-formed looped handle.

Some of my favourite details are the ones you only find when you begin to explore it. Lift the lid and the interior is finished in a gorgeous deep olive green glaze, while the entire underside of the lid has been decorated with another delicate painted flower and leaves. Even underneath the tureen, the exposed clay around the foot carries tiny hand-worked impressions. Every single detail has been beautifully considered.

It is such a sophisticated piece of pottery, substantial and beautifully balanced, but still full of the marks, variations and tiny irregularities that make handmade studio pottery so special. The combination of those muted sea-like blues and greens, the floral decoration and the sheer amount of work that has gone into even the least visible parts makes this a particularly special example of Black Mountain Pottery.

A genuinely stunning and unusual piece of vintage Welsh studio pottery, and one I think is every bit as beautiful displayed as it would be used at the table.

Vintage condition: in absolutely perfect condition with no chips, cracks or signs of use, really stunning! 

Dimensions;
Height: 12cm
Top diameter: 16cm
Base diameter: 11cm