A Very Fine "Leeds Revival" Creamware Chestnut Basket, Cover & Stand

An Exceptional "Leeds Revival" Creamware Chestnut Basket, Cover & Stand
Almost certainly by John Thomas Morton of Filey
West Yorkshire, England
Circa 1935  
Measures:- 27 cm long x 19 cm wide x 17 cm high

The finely pierced work and light weight of the finished pieces are equal to anything made at Leeds.

In the late 19th and early 20th Century the Senior family began making reproductions of 18th Century creamware at the "Leeds Art Pottery" in Hunslet, West Yorkshire. James "Wraith" Senior worked alongside his sons George William (1882-1970), James Jr. (d.1917) and his brother-in-law John Thomas "J.T." Morton (1875-1956), who had been apprenticed to him in the 1890's. Eventualy J. T. Morton started up his own art pottery at Airy Hill in Filey in 1933, using moulds which had been used by George Senior in Leeds.

Senior's and Morton's wares can sometomes be of such high quality that they can be mistaken for the work of earlier factories.

"The Leeds pattern book gives several good designs. One, intended for the German market, has the German or Austrian eagle on top of the handle" p. 61 Joseph R. & Frank Kidson, "Historical Notices of the Leeds Old Pottery", J. R. Kidson, Leeds, 1892

An identical basket is illustrated in Plate 12 of Joseph R. & Frank Kidson, "Historical Notices of the Leeds Old Pottery", J. R. Kidson, Leeds, 1892

The Leeds pottery 1770-1881: To Which is Appended an Illustrated Account of the Work of the Revivalists, J. & G.W. Senior and J.T. Morton 1880s to c.1950 By John D. Griffin (Leeds Art Collection Fund, 2005) Leeds Pottery c1780 One of the finest examples of 18th century period creamware pottery produced by the famous Leeds Pottery in Yorkshire, the chestnut basket and stand. This iconic piece of plain undecorated creamware with its intricate hand pierced decoration is a testament to the potters art. The basket still retains its original stand with it's fine reticluated border. Creamware pottery chestnut basket and stand.

The design based on "AN ENGLISH CREAMWARE CHESTNUT BASKET, COVER AND STAND, CIRCA 1770-1780, OVAL WITH PIERCED SIDES, THE BASKET WITH TWO ACANTHUS LEAF HANDLES, THE COVER FINIAL FORMED AS A PAROT OR EAGLE"