Arklow Pottery was an Irish pottery company which operated from 1934 to 1998. The company produced many decorative earthenware goods and general table crockery.
| Industry | Ceramics |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1934 |
| Headquarters | , Ireland |
Key people | Seán Lemass |
| Products | Ceramics |
History
editArklow Pottery was founded in 1934[1] and formally opened by Seán Lemass (Minister for Industry and Commerce) 29 July 1935 in South Quay, Arklow, County Wicklow.[2]
After the Carrigaline Pottery, Arklow was the second pottery founded in the Irish Free State. When it opened, it employed 200 people. These included 15 local young women from a technical institute and 30 experienced professionals from Staffordshire Potteries. As there had been no historical ceramics industry in Ireland, the English workers were needed to train their Irish colleagues.[3]
Early pieces has a strong English influence, by the 1940s the Pottery had developed "a distinctive Irish style." Earlier pieces featured 22 carat gold. The Dressier tunnel oven in the Pottery was thought to be the second largest in the world and could fire 20,000 to 25,000 objects every week. The ceramics featured both transfer and hand-painting.[3]
Arklow Pottery ran into financial difficulties in the 1970s and was taken over by Japanese tableware company Noritake in 1977. After losses of more than £7.5 million over a 20-year period, the company ceased production in 1998, having closed a factory in 1985. At its peak the company had employed 480 people.[4]
There is no definitive catalogue of Arklow back-stamps, and is collectable but not very valuable. Alongside everyday ceramics and tableware, the Pottery produced commemorative pieces. The most collectable Arklow pieces are from 1962 to 1969, when ceramist John ffrench ran the art pottery in the factory, Arklow Studio Pottery.[3][5] An example of ffrench's work, an Arklow Pottery cup and saucer with Tiger stripes is held in the collections of the National Museum of Ireland.[6]
Gallery
edit-
Cottage Rose series saucer
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Cottage Rose series saucer reverse
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Tara Brooch series jug and sugar bowl
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Tara Brooch series cup, saucer and side plate showing logo
References
edit- ^ "Arklow Pottery - Mosiac Project & Digital Collection". County Wicklow Heritage. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "About – Arklow Pottery". Arklow Pottery. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Flegg, Eleanor (5 April 2019). "Arklow pottery collectors' cups runneth over". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Oliver, Emmet; Mulqueen, Eibhir (10 January 1998). "140 jobs go in Arklow as pottery firm loses over £7m". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Harrison, Bernice (23 September 2017). "Design Moment: Arklow Studio Pottery, ca 1962". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ National Museum of Ireland Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 6 October 2010