Very Rare Studio Pottery Scalloped Shell Cruet Set by Mike Goddard, Manningtree Pottery

An extraordinary piece, and one I’ve never come across before, not just in form, but in feeling, somewhere between functional object and small sculptural work.

This rare studio pottery cruet set by Mike Goddard of Mistley Quay Workshops, Manningtree Pottery is truly special. Rooted in the British studio pottery tradition, every detail down to the potter’s seals has been so thoughtfully considered. The tray is impressed with Goddard’s shell and floral seal, and each small shell handle carries the same floral motif, the kind of piece that reveals something new each time you return to it.

At its centre sits a beautifully detailed tray, its surface alive with movement. Soft, flowing florals weave around delicate blue birds, circling the middle as if caught mid-dance. The palette is gentle and calming, muted blues, warm stone and beautifully speckled brown. 

The form is just as considered. Two sculpted scalloped shell handles sit at either side, with a central handle rising gently from the middle, both functional and sculptural, like something lifted from the shoreline.

Resting within are three matching pots, each echoing the same fluid blue decoration and finished with their own tiny shell handles. They feel perfectly at home together, a complete little world of texture, colour, and story.

It’s rare to find a set like this intact, and rarer still with such a strong sense of design throughout. Equal parts functional object and decorative piece, it would sit beautifully at the centre of a dining table or kitchen island. 

A true collector’s piece, coastal, beautifully considered, sculptural and practical, a true treasure. 

Dimensions;

Tray;
Length from handle to handle: 26cm
Diameter: 21.5cm
Centre handle height: 6.5cm

Cruet Pots;
Height: 5cm
Length including handle: 11cm
Top diameter: 7.5cm
Base diameter: 4.5cm