Oxford Ceramics Group

An Introduction to British Studio Pottery
2022-11-26 10:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH, United Kingdom
“There’s such a keen, passionate renaissance of people making pots just now. It’s a glorious, fabulous moment.” – Edmund de Waal
The study morning explores studio pottery, with particular emphasis on the V&A’s collection, which was started in 1917 with a piece of studio pottery made by Reginald Wells.
Oliver produced the first Studio pottery catalogue for the V & A in 1990, and Alun is currently updating the catalogue, to include the extra 32 years of acquisitions by the V&A. This new ‘Studio Ceramics’catalogue will be the primary reference for 20th-century and contemporary British studio ceramics, and a record of the national collection of British ceramics held at the V&A.’
During our study morning, we learn about the history of the collection from its inception, discuss the key acquisitions from the last 30 years, as well as looking at predictions for the Future.
The changes in philosophy and attitudes to Studio Pottery, and its fluctuating status as Art or Craft, will also be discussed.
Tim Wilson, president of the OCG, will give an introduction talking about the studio pottery that is in the Ashmolean.
Oliver Watson, Emeritus professor of Islamic Art & Architecture, Will talk about studio pottery up to 2000.
Alun Graves, Senior curator, ‘Ceramics and Glass 1900 – Now’ at the V&A museum, will talk about studio pottery from 2000 to the present day.
Members are welcome to bring items for interest and / or identification.
Tea and Coffee will be served from 10:00am and the first lecture will begin at 10:30am. The meeting will finish by 1pm, and members are welcome to make their own arrangements for lunch.

Private Visit to the Russell-Cotes Museum
2022-10-03 10:30 - 17:00 | Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, East Cliff Promenade, Bournemouth, BH1 3AA, United Kingdom
Our members have been offered the opportunity to have a private guided tour of the Russell-Cotes Museum and Art Gallery in Bournemouth on a day when it is not open to the general public. Dr Anne Anderson will be our guide.
Following the tour, there will be a study handling session, giving us an opportunity to look at the reserve collection, and Anne hopes that we can help to identify some ‘troublesome’ pieces in the reserve collection.
Sir Merton Russell-Cotes made his fortune from The Royal Bath Hotel due to the expansion of the railways and Victorians “taking of the air” on the English Riviera, to escape the smog of London.
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum in Bournemouth is housed in a Grade 11 listed building, which was built by Sir Merton Russell-Cotes as a gift for his wife Annie in 1901. It became a museum in 1922 and it is celebrating its centenary this year.
They were both enthusiastic collectors of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite Art and Ceramics and there is an extensive collection on view. There is also an opportunity to see souvenirs from their travels to Russia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Tea and Coffee will be served on arrival, and a light lunch will be provided.

Private Visit to Waddesdon Manor
2022-06-20 10:30 - 17:00 | Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon’s curator of decorative arts, Dr. Mia Jackson, is offering our members the privileged opportunity to visit the Manor at a time when it is not open to the general public.
It will be possible under guidance to view much of the rich array of decorative and fine arts which form this renowned collection of the Rothschild family.
The extensive collection includes outstanding examples of Maiolica, French and other European ceramics, as well as fine furniture, textiles and paintings.
We are very fortunate to also have a study handling session.
Coffee will be served on arrival. Lunch is not provided but members may wish to bring a picnic which can be enjoyed in the grounds before returning to the Manor.

Visit to Norwich
2022-05-19 - 2022-05-21 | Norwich, United Kingdom
The historic city of Norwich traces its beginnings from the Iceni and Boadicea, via the Vikings, the Normans and the flourishing Middle Ages to the present day. This wealth of history makes it a fascinating and interesting place to visit. Although the emphasis of our visit will be on ceramics, there is much more to see and do. It claims to be the most complete medieval city in the United Kingdom with cobbled streets and timbered houses. By the 18C it was the second largest city after London, with long-held bonds with the Netherlands.
On the afternoon of Thursday 19 May, we will visit a private collection close to the A11 to Norwich; it has over 500 pieces of early English porcelain including Bow, Lowestoft, Derby and Worcester.
The next morning, there will be a guided tour of the Cathedral. Founded in 1096, it has the second highest spire after Salisbury and the largest monastic cloisters in the country. This will be followed by a light lunch at the Castle Museum before a tour and handling session with the Curator. The Museum houses the Twining Teapot Gallery, excellent decorative arts galleries with cases of East Anglian ceramics, including Lowestoft, and a Chronological Arts of Living Gallery.
On Saturday 21 May, we will visit the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia, well known for its studio pottery collection including works by Hans Coper and Lucie Rie. Coffee on arrival will be followed by a conducted tour with Paul Greenhalgh, former Director and author of Ceramics, Art and Civilisation. Our tour will end with a buffet lunch. The Sainsbury Centre has important ethnographica and tribal art collections, as well as works by Francis Bacon, Henry Moore, Jacob Epstein and Alberto Giacometti. Those who wish can visit the spring exhibition Pablo Picasso: The Legacy of Youth.
The cost per head is £85. Accommodation and transport are not included but recommendations will be provided.

Visit to Magdalen College, Oxford
2022-04-29 11:00 - 13:00 | Magdalen College, Oxford, OX1 4AU
The President of Magdalen College has very generously given permission for the OCG to visit the President’s Lodging in order to see the Brocklebank collection of Anatolian. Middle Eastern and Persian Ceramics that are displayed in the President’s Dining Room. This is a great privilege as the President’s Lodging are not normally open to the public. We will be accompanied by John Nightingale, Chattels Fellow, Richard Allen, College Archivist and Dr Francesca Leone, Curator of Islamic Art at the Ashmolean who will be able to tell us about some of the pieces on display.
Lt. Col. Richard Hugh Royds Brocklebank (1881-1965) inherited an important collection of Islamic ceramics from is Uncle Ralph Brocklebank (1840-1921). His collection of 120 items of colourful Iznik, Kütahya and Persian ceramics was bequeathed to the college in 1975 by Hugh’s daughter Lady Rayleigh, in accordance with her father’s wishes.
Our visit will begin at 11 am with a welcome coffee and biscuits. We will then proceed to the President’s Lodgings to see the Brocklebank Collection. We will also have the opportunity to see the Brocklebank picture collection, including watercolours by Turner and the extraordinary early 16th-century Flemish tapestries that show the betrothal of Prince Arthur to Catherine of Aragon that were presented to Richard Mayew, President of Magdalen in 1501. Mayhew was one of the embassy sent to fetch Catherine of Aragon from Spain to be Arthur’s bride. We will also be shown the Iznik tiles on the Senior Common Room staircase which form an important part of the Brocklebank collection.
Following our visit to the President’s Lodgings and SCR, Members will then be free to visit the college Chapel and beautiful grounds at their leisure– if we are lucky Magdalen’s famous snakehead fritillaries may still be in bloom!

Study Day - Named Sculptors and Ceramics
2022-03-26 | Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH, United Kingdom
Sugar ornaments were used on fashionable dining tables all over Europe at the beginning of the 18th century. With the discovery of porcelain at Meissen in 1710, more permanent figures could be made. Meissen developed this to a fine art with two skilled modellers Johann Jakob Kirchner and Johann Joachim Kandler.
The use of named sculptors in both porcelain and earthenware has continued to the present day and we are fortunate to have three acclaimed speakers to tell the story.
Errol Manners, porcelain expert and dealer, will concentrate on the 18th century.
Paul Atterbury, author and broadcaster, known to many from his appearances on the Antiques Road Show, will talk on named sculptors in 19th century England, including Parian ware and Majolica.
Gaye Blake-Roberts, former, long-standing Curator of the Wedgwood Museum, will talk about the wide range of sculptors working with Wedgwood.
Members are welcome to bring items for interest and / or identification.
Coffee will be served from 10.30am and the first lecture will begin at 11.00am. A sandwich lunch is provided.

Annual General Meeting
2022-02-05 | Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH, United Kingdom
The Annual General meeting will start at 2pm, and this will be followed by a lecture by Professor Timothy Wilson, the president of the Oxford Ceramics Group.

The Influence of Islam on European Ceramics
2021-11-20 | Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH, United Kingdom
The day will explore the important contribution of Islamic countries to the form and decoration of European ceramics.
Oliver Watson, Emeritus Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture, will give the opening introduction.

This fascinating subject will then be explored by three experts in this field.

Federica Gigante, Curator of the Collection from the Islamic World at the History of Science Museum, Oxford, will talk on the 17th century.
Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth, Curator of 17th and 18th century Ceramics and Glass at the Victoria and Albert Museum, will talk on the 18th century, and
Fuchsia Hart, who is currently undertaking a DPhil by research at the Khalili Research Institute, Oxford, as well as lecturing and writing, will talk on the 19th and 20th centuries.

Members are welcome to bring items for interest and / or identification.

Coffee will be served from 10.30am and the first lecture will begin at 11.00am. A sandwich lunch is provided.

Ceramic collections in Oxford
2021-10-20 | Private Collection, Oxford

Visit to Museum of Royal Worcester Porcelain and Croome Court
2021-09-23 | Museum of Royal Worcester Porcelain and Croome Court, United Kingdom
