Category Archives: Glazes

Few Doulton collectors today will be familiar with the names Thomas Morton, William Massey or William Skinner, however, they played an important role in the early 20th Century history of Royal Doulton as its three leading gilders.

A Titanian bowl with gold and silver gilding.

These three craftsmen worked under the legendary Robert Allen, who led one of Doulton’s Burslem art studios and was father to Harry Allen too. Harry’s name will be forever linked to Titanian wares because of his many finely painted birds and other subjects on this ware.

A view of the interior of the bowl.

The bowl illustrated is most unusual due to the use of gold and silver and alas is not signed by the gilder, but fortunately the RA number on the reverse dates it to the period of WWI, right at the start of Doulton’s short production of fine Titanian ware.

These master gilders would typically re-create on china the elaborate designs by Robert Allen, such as the design on this bowl.

Just as Doulton in Burslem under the direction of Charles Noke were experimenting with glazes in the early 20th Century, so too was his London counterpart Joseph Mott, art Director at Doulton Lambeth.
Mott can truly be said to have seen it all at Doulton as he began working there in the 1880’s when some of Doulton’s most famous artists were in full swing including the Barlows, Mark Marshall etc…
Just as sales at Burslem were on the rise so too began the steady decline of Lambeth wares. However, under Mott’s direction the art department survived for another half century.
Mott had a chemists background so it is no surprise that the following pieces have turned up, all showing the most wonderful types of glaze and most bearing his initials.

A deep-glazed slender vase.

Two ‘hare’s foot’ glaze vases.

An unusual vase signed by Mott.

Two views of a striking crystalline vase.

One piece of stoneware I have at home is a fun Doulton stoneware table tennis bat presented by Mott’s fellow players to him in 1935, and signed by them all.

Mott’s contribution to the Lambeth factory goes far beyond glazes but that is the focus of this piece today.