A look at the design, market and legacy of Victorian pottery

Saturday, May 20, 2017

The Majolica of Scotland's Belfield Pottery


Prestonpans has been a center of pottery production in Scotland since the 1730's. A home to several major pottery families including the Gordons, Cadells and Watsons, the area's access to train and water transportation as well as its large deposits of clay made it an ideal location for the manufacture of pottery. Charles Belfield, a skilled potter who had moved up the ranks in the business, moved his family to the area to work at the Gordon Pottery in the 1830's. By 1839 he was advertising in local trade journals and by 1846 was fully established as an independent retailer under the name of Charles Belfield and Son. In 1847 he incorporated as Charles Belfield & Co. Initially he dealt in wholesale pottery sales with the majority of his inventory coming from what remained of the bankrupt Prestonpan Watson Pottery. In time Belfield moved into manufacture and invented a system for the manufacture of drainpipe that brought fame and fortune to the company. As the business grew Belfield began producing a wide variety of pottery wares, from sanitary wares for everyday use to Rockingham to majolica.

Factory workers at Belfield Pottery c. 1905

Belfield & Co. registered their first majolica designs in 1872. These initial designs were a response to the Asian influence then dominating design throughout the West. The majority of these designs utilized bamboo motifs, sometimes glazed in full color majolica but sometimes just glazed in Rockingham, solid green or white. The use of color in these was selective with many glazed in mottled earth tones with small details such as ties in blue or yellow. Hollowware interiors were usually glazed in a deep majolica pink.

The company produced cuspidors, jardinieres, tea wares and cheese bells. Serving trays of various shapes, baskets and compotes were produced using leaf themes in solid green and multicolor.

Belfield registered majolica teapot design

Belfield registered design is a variation of an earlier one.

Belfield majolica registered teapot

Belfield majolica dessert stand

Belfield majolica registered leaf tray

Original design mold for the tray above

Production mold for the above tray

Belfield majolica cheese stand

Belfield registered plate design

Belfield registered design using overlapping leaf forms. 

Belfield registered jardiniere design

Belfield registered cuspidor design
Belfield majolica bamboo creamer

Belfield majolica registered sugar bowl

The company also produced a number of unregistered designs in majolica, some of them adaptations of designs created by larger potteries such as Wedgwood, Copeland and George Jones. 


Belfield pierced basket with underplate

Belfield copy of a Wedgwood teapot design. 
The company catalog lists 20 different teapot designs.

Pair of Belfield majolica plates

Belfield adaptation of George Jones Hops jug series.

Belfield majolica jardiniere and pedestal

Belfield majolica cabbage leaf
Belfield majolica pierced border plate
Belfield majolica match striker

Though only part of their wares were marked their design catalogs have survived which allow us to attribute many designs to the company.

Oval Belfield mark

Belfield & Son Fireproof mark

Double crescent Belfield mark

Belfield scroll mark

Belfield catalog page

We do not know when majolica production ceased at Belfield but we assume it was around the same time as most British firms–the first decade of the 20th Century. The company itself closed in 1939 at the onset of WW2. 

The company left a legacy as one of the most successful pottery enterprises in Scotland and the most successful pottery in Prestonpans, having survived three generations under the ownership of the Belfield family.

Belfield Pottery c. 1939

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Majolica Haiku



Minton, Wedgwood, Jones
Majolica enchants us
As collectors dream

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Mothers Day Majolica

With Mother's Day just a few days away, we were thinking about what would be appropriate gifts for the occasion. The first thing that comes to mind is flowers!

In the world of pottery few things are more commonly found decorating pottery than flowers. Majolica with its bright colors is particularly adept at reproducing these marvels of nature. So we present a garden of majolica flowers.

Etruscan majolica pansy butter pats

George Jones lily of the valley tile

Jones majolica dresser tray

George Jones flower garden jardiniere

Sarreguemines majolica pansy basket

Minton majolica tile


Massier floral vase

Massier majolica iris vase

Massier majolica pansy clock


Wedgwood majolica sunflower butter dish

George Jones majolica flower garden jug

Copeland majolica pansy jardiniere

What else seems appropriate for Mom?
How about something in pink!

Unattributed lily of the valley plate

George Jones majolica oyster plate

George Jones majolica oyster plate

Holdcroft majolica fern plate

Minton majolica oyster plate

George Jones pink majolica daisy butter pat

Jones majolica chestnut jug


Shorter & Bouldon majolica fan butter pat



GJ majolica swallow nest pitcher

George Jones majolica daisy jardiniere and stand

Holdcroft shell butter pat

Or maybe a representation of motherhood in majolica?

George Jones majolica full nest game dish


Dreyfuss majolica hen and chicks terrine

Choisy-le-Roi majolica plate

Majolica continental cat and kitten plate

Continental Sow with piglets humidor

Dreyfuss majolica egg server


Choisy-le-Roi majolica rabbit plate
Minton majolica paté server

Minton nesting bird box

George Jones majolica nesting birds dest stand

Minton majolica nesting bird tile

Holdcroft majolica nesting bird jardiniere 

Arsenal Pottery nesting bird pitcher

Massier majolica chicken family vase
Unattributed nesting bird jug

Wedgwood majolica figural group

Regardless of how you celebrate Mother's Day, appreciate Mom while you have her because you only get one!


Happy Mother's Day Mom!