Clarice Cliff

Clarice Cliff was one of the most renowned and influential ceramics artists of the 20th Century. She was born on January 20th 1899, in Tunstall, Staffordshire. Cliff became involved in pottery while studying at the Burslem School of Art in the evenings. In the early days of working, she took wage reductions to start working at the bottom of the hierarchy to acquire new skills. This helped her to gain expertise on the craft of pottery like outlining, tube lining, enamelling, banding and modelling. In 1927, impressed by her skills, her employer sent her to the Royal School of Art in London to further polish her skills. Subsequently, the company provided a separate studio for her to experiment with her new designs.

By 1928, Clarice started creating "BIZARRE WARE", a popular line of pottery that was produced until around 1937. Her art wares were popular for their bold, bright hand-painted and striking shapes that became the hallmarks of Clarice Cliff's ceramics. One of her most famed designs was the Crocus, which remained in production for more than 30 years. Today, the Clarice Cliff designs, Clarice Cliff art and Clarice Cliff pottery are sold at premium prices. The Clarice Cliff line of ceramics has now gained a cult status and are one of the much sought-after collectable items.