In a previous incarnation - leastways it seems that long ago - I was a potter. Actually, like most things in life, it was not as simple as that. To cut out all the detail, for many years, until it was sold in January 2005, I had interests in a pottery on Lewis. It made the widest range of pottery of any pottery in Scotland. One day I'll do a proper post on the pottery and its history on Eagleton Notes. One of it's unique ranges of pottery was a marbled ware called the Hebridean Range. Last week Wendy was in an op shop (opportunity shop = charity shop/thrift store/goodwill) in Napier when she saw an egg separator made by the pottery in that range.
From the backstamp underneath I can tell that it was made pre-1997 when Fear an eich (a partnership between between my wife and I) was sold to a new company (of which I was the major shareholder). It would be fascinating to know how it came to New Zealand.
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Oh I hope you do get round to doing that post on the pottery. I've loved every item I've seen on your blog (and Scriptor's). In fact at first glance of the thumbnail for this post, without having a real clue as to what it was, I guessed it might be some object of your pottery. The colour scheme, I suppose! Actually I've never seen or heard of an egg separator, that seems like a useful object!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Monica, for those kind words. I really hope to get round to some pottery posts. Probably when I'm back in the UK on Eagleton Notes but who knows, I might get a spare couple of wet days here some time.
DeleteI'll second wanting to read a post on the history of the pottery. I love the Hebridean range, and we have a number of pieces (including a milk jug that was at some point your mother's) making up a display on top of a bookcase in the lounge.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I would never have guessed that this item was an egg separator though. I might have gone with it being one of those jugs for separating fat and stock which I guess is close(ish)!
As I replied to Monica's comment I'm really hoping to do that sooner rather than later.
DeleteWhat a beautiful piece of pottery. I know how it got to NZ -- someone visited the UK, saw it and loved it. And now it has returned home. xoxo
ReplyDeleteYou are probably correct Carol. Somehow the simple explanations are often the one but sometimes I hope for a really unusual and complicated story to emerge.
DeleteBeautiful, me husband teaches ceramics here. I play with clay, but, he does amazing things with it!
ReplyDeleteI loved pottery but I've only thrown a few pieces on a wheel in my life.
DeleteI'm the same way, but I love raku wear. His degree is in glass blowing and printing, but he does metal and woodwork too.
DeleteWow. This looks very clever and artistic, beautiful colour too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruby.
DeleteAhh, a pottery gadget, lovely, with a purpose, and no moving parts. Wouldn't it be great to learn its "story"?
ReplyDeleteI love it.
ReplyDeletePractical and beautiful as well.
SP
I love that pottery too. Do you remember the yellow? I fell in love with the style many years ago but at the time you did not "do" yellow. The next summer when I visited the Isle of Lewis, you had the yellow ready and waiting. You had spent the whole winter trying to get the colour right - apparently yellow is the most difficult colour to master as it turns a muddy brown so often. You succeeded and to this day I still have my yellow set of mugs, teapot, basin and cream jug. I just love them. Thank you for your perseverance Graham - much appreciated. Love X
ReplyDeleteUntil I saw this, I never even knew egg separators existed! Just goes to show how well-versed (NOT) in the art of cooking and baking I am... Indeed, it would be interesting to know how it made that long trip from Lewis to NZ!
ReplyDeleteJust came across your blog whilst searching for something else Hebridean. I love the pottery - I have three much-loved marbled-design pieces which I acquired in the 1990s - a green vase which my mother bought for me on Skye, and a brown sugar bowl and milk jug which I bought in a charity shop in Reading, Berkshire.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting ..... I found my Suger bowl in a Charity shop 300 miles rom Graham's pottery ,
ReplyDeleteLove it's Sea scape colours , now I am searching for all the other shapes ! Thanks Graham,
It's a pleasure M. I hope you find some more. They seem to pop up all over the place.
DeleteLucky you! My SIL has one but the two halves are beginning to come apart. I've been looking for a new one for her. Didn't think of looking in New Zealand!
ReplyDeleteAnd here in late 2019 I turn over my cheeseboard cover and trace the mark to this post. It is a greenish marbled dome, about 10 inches wide, set on a turned wooden platter (by Gisla woodcraft) with a small loop handle and a mouse! Still intact and still a lovely way to serve cheese.
ReplyDeleteThat's lovely to hear, Neil. Thank you. I hope it continues to serve you well.
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