Seconds Threads of Time 226/18 Vase

Nicola Slaney, has taken up the cause of Morris & Co. or more accurately the cause of those great designers who helped William Morris build and sustain his name. Only great designers can do that effectively and one of many behind the Morris name was his loyal colleague, John Henry Dearle.

Dearle created a trio of wall hangings entitled Owl and Pigeon c.1895, and there were bought from Morris & Co as work kits, and were all very ambitious projects. One such kit was bought by a very good client, Mrs Battye who embroidered her wall hanging in silks on silk damask between c.1898 and 1900 and which are now on display in the V&A Museum.

By the end of his life, Dearle was one of those rare people who had no need to cling to the Morris name to carve out a career for himself. He was too good for that. Instead, he delivered an outpouring of excellence which was so good that when Morris died in October 1896, Dearle had been in effective charge of Morris & Co. since 1890. Not bad for a young lad who started his working life as a shop assistant under the watchful eye of Morris himself. No surprise also when you find that Dearle remained in charge of key sections of the Morris business until January 1932.

Dearle never sought to raise himself to the top of the mountain by effectively stealing the Morris halo. Instead, everything that he did was done for his mentor, friend and idol. Only in the 1980s, following intensive research by the Victoria and Albert Museum, was Dearle given his full credits and his designs are no longer attributed to Morris. This would have included the Owl and Pigeon, so admired by Nicola. Her prestige vase is for the Moorcroft connoisseur and keeps the story of Morris and Dearle very much alive today.

What is a Moorcroft second?
All our art pottery is closely inspected before it leaves the Moorcroft factory and the selection process is as rigorous as any in the world. As a result, not all pieces emerge unblemished in their quality assessment. The fault or faults may be in the finish of a piece, whether it be a tiny tubeline miss, an incorrectly painted petal, or a small glaze run. Seconds are not ‘red-dotted’, all of them are far too good for that, and each seconds piece has a charm and individuality of its own. Any fault is not structural and the piece can still be used for the purpose it was made. 

The 'Was' price shown is the Best Quality RRP of this design and shape.

A Gift Box is not supplied with this product

Was: £6,160.00
Ex Tax: £3,336.67

• Designer: Nicola Slaney
• Dimensions: H 48.00 x W 24.00 x D 24.00 cm
• Availability: In Stock