Rob's Poole Pottery Collection

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Robert Jefferson Gallery

Although for me it's the Poole Studio and Delphis range which mark Robert Jefferson's most significant contribution to Pottery at Poole.  He was also a prolific designer of table and kitchen wares.  After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1954, he became resident designer at Poole in 1958.  

Jefferson was a great innovator: Introducing new technology to the factory and reinvigorating the Poole catalogue with new shapes and styles in keeping with a new decade.  As well as the pots below, he also designed the "Contour" tableware range and "Black Pebble" pattern shown in the Twintone Gallery,  together with Helios table lamps and other wares, examples of which I've yet to collect.   He left Poole Pottery in 1966, after he had reputedly "designed himself out of a job". 

Oven-to-Table Ware

"Oven to table ware" "Herb Garden" range designed by Robert Jefferson, launched in 1963.   In Sunshine Yellow glaze,  with silk screen printed, hand coloured decoration.  2-pint stew pot with thyme pattern and 1-pint round nesting casserole with bay leaves.

"Oven to table ware" "Lucullus" range egg Baker designed by Robert Jefferson, launched in 1962.   In  Blue Moon glaze,  with silk screen printed, hand coloured decoration.  Complete with original box and 32 page cook book, with cover design and drawings by Robert Jefferson and recipes courtesy of Ideal Home Magazine.

"Oven to table ware" "Lucullus" range designed by Robert Jefferson, launched in 1962.   In Blue Moon glaze,  with silk screen printed, hand coloured decoration.  4-pint oval casserole with marrow decoration and 15 inch fish baker with prawns.

Like much Poole tableware these dishes are surprisingly thin bodied and lightweight. The high biscuit firing temperatures used (1150c) produced a semi-vitrified body meant these pots could withstand domestic ovens, although they were sold with a warning to avoid thermal shock.

The same shapes pots were available in both ranges as well as in 3 plain colours - Blue Moon, Celadon Green and Heather Rose. Other shapes in the Herb Garden range were decorated with sage, basil, parsley, clove , borage, caraway and mint.  The similar "Lucullus" range in Blue Moon glaze, was printed with corn cobs, peapods and cauliflowers, mushrooms, blackberry and apple, scallop shells and a cockerel.

Lucullus was an Ancient Roman General and renowned gastronome who, in more modern times, had a variety of Swiss chard named after him.

Compact Tableware

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For the smaller 1960's home - Stackable "Compact" Poole Pottery, with flat lids designed by Robert Jefferson in 1962.

The colour above, Charcoal, was produced using a coloured slip ground technique that was then over glazed.  The range was available also in Chestnut and Choisya (olive-green).  Some of the integrity of this innovative design was lost with the later addition of knobs (to the lids).

Zoo Animals Nursery Ware

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And for smaller 1960's people - Silk Screen Transfer Print and colour wash zoo animals make for a sweet set of nursery ware designed by Robert Jefferson in 1962.

On the mug, in addition to the the appaloosa horse, there's a zebra on the other side.  Which together with the seal, impala, polar bear and bactrian camel on the bowl, and the giant panda plate, do seem like a rather specific and slightly obscure group of animals.  But maybe the giraffes and tigers were being evasive on the day that Robert Jefferson was at the zoo with his sketch book.

Green Diamond Jars

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Green Diamond Spice Jars, set of six lidded jars (parsley, sage, thyme, nutmeg, allspice and cloves), with cork stoppers (3" tall), designed by Robert Jefferson in 1963.

These jars were decorated using a novel silkscreen transfer printing process applied in-glaze. The dark printed areas appear to sparkle, and have a green halo where the colour seeps into the white glaze. 

Also produced in this range were 4 larger storage jars, as well as some other colours.  Below a matt blue and magnolia colour combination and I'm informed, they also came in red.

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Green Diamond Storage Jars, set of four jars (tea, coffee, sugar and rice), with cork stoppers (4 1/2" Tall), designed by Robert Jefferson in 1963, and a Bay, Blue "Green Diamond" spice jar.

Bay and Curry weren't part of the standard Green Diamond range of six spice jars, and I know that "Mint" jars were also made in the blue/magnolia glaze screen printed pattern above, but I don't know if any other other herb/spice names were available.  The red jars, I think, are the earliest and may be an early trial. Unlike the other these are hand thrown.  Even though the decoration was developed into further to good effect, it is nice that the calligraphy remained much unchanged throughout.

Bokhara Jars and Vases

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My collection so far of Bokhara jars - looking quite modest in this shot

The Bokhara range of hand thrown and decorated jars and vases was designed by Robert Jefferson in 1964. There are nine different shapes of jar/vase in the range, but as some come in two or more sizes and most have more than one surface pattern, collecting all of them will be a challenge. 29 in total on the factory pattern sheet for any other obsessive collectors interested.

I'm hoping to fill the gaps of the Pattern Sheet below with images of new pots as I find them.