Majolica in the Media: Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Did anyone catch the Andy Serkis interview on the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert?"

Andy, who is best known for being the actor behind such digital motion capture performances as Caesar in the "Planet of the Apes" series and Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings," was wearing a shirt with an applique that bore a striking resemblance to a Minton majolica oyster plate on the sleeve!

Andy Serkis, left

There was no acknowledgment of the peculiar ornament so I haven't the slightest idea why it was on the sleeve. There was nothing else even vaguely similar on the rest of the shirt. My guess is that whoever created the shirt saw an oyster plate and decided to create a patch similar to it. In reality, it was probably not meant to represent a real Minton oyster plate, just a daisy-like ornament but, you never know! The oyster plate inspiration was obvious.

Minton nine well majolica oyster plate

In any case, the patch caught my eye and I was curious if anyone else made the association. It was lots of fun seeing it from the perspective of a collector.

The Majolica of Joseph Holdcroft and Company

When collectors talk about the top three English majolica potteries they always mention Minton, George Jones and Wedgwood. That these three are considered separate from all the other dozens of potteries is based largely on their quality. The three had a very high standard of design and workmanship that sets them apart from the rest. But there was a fourth large pottery that made fine quality majolica, one that is rarely placed in such illustrious company—Joseph Holdcroft and Company. In spite of their prodigious output Holdcroft never quite makes the cut. Their designs are a little less sophisticated, their glazes a little less vibrant, and their workmanship a lot more variable than the others. This is not to diminish all their work because they made some extraordinary pottery. Their output just seems to lack that little something extra that distinguishes "great" from "very, very good." It's hard to believe, but in the years that I have been doing this blog I have never done a post exclusively on the Holdcroft pottery. That fact alone echoes the general consensus of how Holcroft is considered. It is the pottery equivalent of Rodney Dangerfield. It just doesn't get any respect!

Joseph Holdcroft

Unlike most who worked in the pottery trade, Joseph Holdcroft did not come from poverty. He was the child of an affluent pottery owner, William Holdcroft, who spent most of his education in private schools and first entered into partnership as Holdcroft & Wood, nephew of Enoch Wood, at the George Street Pottery. According to Llewellynn Jewitt in his book The Ceramic Art of Great Britain:

At these works Mr. W. Holdcroft (formerly Holdcroft & Wood) manufactures all kinds of earthenware dinner, toilet, tea, and other services, and the usual varieties of useful articles. Jugs are produced in immense quantities and of great variety, both in form and in styles of ornamentation, as is also every variety of goods. Even in the commoner classes a better style of decoration is observable in

the productions of this manufactory than in many others. The styles of ornamentation are hand painting, transfer printing, ground colours, lustre-glazes, &c.(sic). The markets produced for are both home and foreign, and the general classes of goods are what may be called generally commercial. Connected with these works is the highly interesting fact that Mr. Holdcroft was the first to introduce the down-draught system of firing into the potteries, which has effected a great saving in fuel and a freedom from smoke.

The William Holdcroft George Street pottery in Tunstall

Longton, described as the "center of cheap china" production

The Joseph Holdcroft pottery at Daisy Bank,

Holdcroft mark pit

Upon graduation from the Wedgwood Institute he joined his father's pottery, where he developed several patents for the manufacture of earthenware. Like George Jones before him, Joseph Holdcroft then worked for Mintons—for eighteen years—leaving there around 1865 to open his own concern on St. Martin's Lane in Longton where he specialized in silver luster. About five years later he opened the Sunderland Pottery at Daisy Bank, Longton where he specialized in majolica, Parian and silver luster. The company's product was well respected and received good sales during its time. Llewellynn Jewit described his work thus:

His majolica productions are of a high class, both in design, in quality, and in workmanship ; a "Wren

Vase” with well-modelled(sic) birds and flowers, is a speciality of his works. 

After 1885, the thrust of the company changed and it went from producing high quality original ware to cheaper, poorly potted imitative patterns. The quality of the work suffered for the sake of output and workmanship varied significantly. The company continued production of this cheaper majolica until 1906 when Joseph Holdcroft died. The pottery was then taken over by his son, Thomas who changed the name to Holdcroft Ltd. and added the production of enameled brick. The company continued in operation until around 1930.

It's this long and varied quality production of majolica that is responsible for the tainted reputation of the Holdcroft name today. Whereas their finest majolica is among the best produced, the Holdcroft name on a piece is no guarantee of quality as it is the case of the big three potteries.

Holdcroft design registered 1870

Holdcroft majolica salt

Of Holdcroft's original designs, at least twelve were registered between 1870-1883. Many of their other original designs were produced in prodigious quantities though few were copied by contemporary studios.

Recognizing Holdcroft majolica is not always easy since they didn't always mark their wares. When they did mark it the company marked its wares in one of two ways, either with the initials JH in a circle or the name J. Holdcroft in capital letters in a straight line. A way of recognizing unmarked ware is by the underside glaze. Most commonly the underside of Holdcroft pieces will be glazed a recognizable dull green glaze. Some pieces, particularly plates, can be glazed in a mottled gray, blue and brown combination. Less commonly the undersides were glazed in a solid brown or green and brown mottle.

Another way of recognizing Holdcroft is by the quality of the glazes themselves. Their turquoise glaze is a slightly duller color than that of the turquoise of other companies; their green is a slightly dull gray/green. They tend to favor what appears to contemporary eyes to be strange color combinations like turquoise, chartreuse and brown as well as turquoise and brown and cobalt and brown. Their modeling is also not among the finest. Human faces look a little bit odd and animals are usually highly stylized. In general their design sense is rather clumsy from a modern perspective but most of it had decent, and sometimes exceptional, craftsmanship close to that of the "big three". The company made some wonderful things.

Holdcroft oyster plate

Holdcroft fox and goose game

Holdcroft squab terrine

Holdcroft majolica fish terrine

Holdcroft majolica apple blossom punch bowl

Holdcroft lily punch bowl

Holdcroft majolica butterfly vase

Holdcroft majolica bamboo vase

Holdcroft pâté terrine

Holdcroft majolica basket

Holdcroft majolica basket

Holdccroft majolica bowl

Holdcroft copy of a George Jones design

Holdcroft majolica bird jardiniere 

Holdcroft peacock feather butter pat

Holdcroft tobacco butter pat

Holdcroft majolica rustic jardiniere 

Holdcroft majolica peacock jardiniere

Holdcroft majolica jardiniere

Holdcroft majolica dog with basket

Holdcroft majolica swan vase

Holdcroft fish plate. A popular design it was expanded to 
cheese bells and jardinieres

Holdcroft majolica hunt jug

Holdcroft majolica shell bowl

Holdcroft majolica malachite shell bowl

Holdcroft majolica shell compote

Holdcroft dolphin compote, made also with different shells

Holdcroft tobacco leaf umbrella stand another popular design.

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate mustache cup and saucer

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate teapot

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate dessert stand

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate cake tray

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate cheese dome

Holdcroft majolica umbrella stand

Stork majolica cane stand

Holdcroft stork umbrella stand

Holdcroft majolica bamboo cane stand

Holdcroft majolica banana leaf umbrella stand 

Holdcroft bird cane stand

Holdcroft majolica ram’s head jardiniere 

Holdcroft bird finial box

Holdcroft majolica lily of the valley platter

Joseph Holdcroft "Eat Thy Bread With Thankfulness" bread tray

Holdcroft majolica salmon fish platter

Holdcroft majolica salmon fish platter

Holdcroft majolica fish plate

Holdcroft majolica pond lily plate

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate plate

Holdcroft majolica Japanese influenced crane plate

Holdcroft majolica crane dessert stand

Holdcroft majolica grape leaf and fern plate

Holdcroft majolica tobacco cake tray

Holdcroft majolica grape leaf plate

Holdcroft majolica grape leaf dessert stand

Holdcroft majolica shell and daisy butter pat

Holdcroft majolica fan and swallow butter pat

Holdcroft "Melon" teapot, registered 1879

Holdcroft  "Rustic" tea service, registered 1877

English Registration photo for Rustic tea set

Holdcroft majolica tea set

Holdcroft boy on coconut teapot

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate tea set

Holdcroft boy on coconut tea set

A Holdcroft registered design from 1877

Holdcroft majolica rustic syrup jug

Holdcroft majolica pomegranate pitcher

Holdcroft majolica pond lily syrup jug

Holdcroft majolica bear with drum pitcher

Holdcroft majolica swallow jug

Holdcroft majolica shell mug

Holdcroft majolica decanter

Rare Holdcroft bird on apple teapot.

Holdcroft majolica putti jardiniere

Holdcroft majolica parrot jardiniere

Holdcroft majolica nesting birds jardiniere

Holdcroft majolica pond lily jardiniere

Holdcroft majolica morning glory jardiniere

Holdcroft majolica jardiniere, a copy of G. Jones

Holdcroft majolica swan jardiniere 

Holdcroft majolica jardiniere 

Holdcroft majolica shell bonbonnière, registered 1880

Holdcroft "Rustic" Stilton cheese stand

Holdcroft pond lily cheese dome

Holdcroft majolica centre

Holdcroft four well oyster plate

Holdcroft six well oyster plate

Holdcroft garden seat

Holdcroft garden seat

Holdcroft majolica gardin seat

Holdcroft handled cake tray

Holdcroft fern and grape leaf handled tray

When collecting Holdcroft, it is easily found but doesn't quite bring the prices of the larger potteries so a fine collection can be assembled at a relatively reasonably rate. You need to be conscious of the craftsmanship when buying because of the large variation in quality made. There are a variety of interesting patterns, like: Rustic, Alligator, Pomegranate, Tobacco Leaf, Pond Lily, and Apple Blossom plus the usual assortment of novelty items. As in other cases, signed examples will command higher prices than those that are not signed.

Joseph Holdcroft