Studio Pottery

An Eric James Mellon studio pottery Circus vase, dated 2005, the tall cylindrical body with waisted neck and flared rim, painted in cobalt and iron oxide and gilt with a female circus performer riding a horse, the neck with a pattern of gilt enriched stripes, the rim interior with a horse’s head with flowing mane, the underside of the base with a female portrait, bean ash glaze, painted marks and monogram to base, height 42cm (small chip to footrim). Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014). Note: this piece has been exhibited. It was likely to have been in one of the retrospective exhibitions relating to Eric’s 80th or 85th birthday.

An Eric James Mellon studio pottery Circus footed dish, dated 1971, painted in cobalt and iron oxide with a female nude riding side saddle on a horse within a band of vertical stripes to the rim edge, the underside with banded and striped decoration, elm ash glaze, painted marks and monogram to base, diameter 26.8cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A small Eric James Mellon studio pottery Circus footed dish, dated 1971, painted in cobalt and iron oxide with a female nude riding a horse within a band of vertical stripes to the rim edge, the underside with banded and striped decoration, painted marks to base, diameter 13cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

An Eric James Mellon studio pottery flared circular bowl, dated 1982, titled The Mermaid & The Fox / Being In Love, painted in cobalt and iron oxide, philadelphus ash glaze, the interior with a female nude on horseback beneath a nude couple embracing, a fox and two other female nudes playing musical instruments around her, the underside with other nudes, a fox and quartet of singers, the interior footrim with a violinist, painted marks to interior of footrim, diameter 30cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

An Eric James Mellon studio pottery vase of globular shape, dated 2008, painted with a half length portrait of a female nude beside tulip flowers, the interior footrim with a hand, elm ash glaze, painted marks to interior of footrim, height 10cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

An Eric James Mellon studio pottery vase of bulbous shape, dated 2009, titled Mirrors, painted in cobalt to the exterior with a series of nudes before mirrors and a panel of a single tulip flower, the base interior with a female head, the underside of the foot with a head and shoulders female nude, bean ash glaze, painted marks and monogram to footrim, height 12cm, widest diameter approx 14cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014). This piece was exhibited in March 2011 at The Otter Gallery, University of Chichester, to coincide with the launch of the publication 'Eric James Mellon: Pages From My Sketch Books', a joint venture between Eric Mellon and the University of Chichester. This particular shape was a new addition to Eric's repertoire, two vases of the same shape but with different decoration were exhibited in Geneva at the Ariana Museum in 2012.

An Eric James Mellon studio pottery rectangular tile, dated 2002, titled Theme of Tenderness – Mermaid, divided into three panels and painted with a standing female nude, a mermaid and two mermaids embracing, elm ash glaze, painted marks and monogram to side edge, 19.8cm long by 10cm wide. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A John Leach Muchelney studio pottery stoneware cider flagon, dated 1997, of sack form with overhead loop handle, covered in a speckled glaze, impressed seal and pottery marks to base, height 30cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A Janet Leach St. Ives studio pottery two-handled vase, circa 1987, the pear shaped body with trumpet neck flanked by two small loop handles, decorated with bands of speckled brown glaze, a small circle of running ash glaze to the rim, impressed seal marks to base edge, height 20.5cm, together with a signed and dated Janet Leach business card. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A set of four Janet Leach St. Ives Repeat stoneware studio pottery beakers or yunomi, each with painted resist decoration to the exterior and speckled glaze to the interior, impressed seal and pottery marks just above each footrim, all around 8cm high. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A Janet Leach St. Ives Repeat stoneware studio pottery square dish, with speckled grey and brown glaze around a central tenmoku motif, approx 15cm square, together with a Janet Leach St. Ives preserve pot and cover, painted with resist pale grey glaze detail, height 10cm, both with impressed seal and pottery marks. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A Bernard Leach St. Ives studio pottery square tile, painted with an abstract coastal landscape, painted pottery and monogram marks, 14.8cm square. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A large Jim Malone Ainstable studio pottery pitcher, circa 1992, the vertically combed body covered in a Cumbrian granite glaze, impressed seal marks to side, height 34cm, with original exhibition catalogue price list and bill of sale. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014). This piece was purchased by Eric Mellon at an exhibition held at Christ’s Hospital Gallery in 1992, it is numbered ‘40’.

A Jim Malone Ainstable studio pottery tea caddy and cover, circa 1992, the lobed body covered in a tenmoku glaze beneath the ash glazed shoulders and cover, impressed seal marks to side, height 14.5cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014). This piece was purchased by Eric Mellon at an exhibition held at Christ’s Hospital Gallery in 1992, it is numbered ‘85’.

Two Jim Malone Ainstable studio pottery semi-porcelain circular bowls, both with a beech ash celadon glaze, the first of flared shape with engraved stylized foliate decoration to the interior and a simple chatter band to the exterior, diameter 20.8cm, the second of cut sided, faceted shape with exterior alternate engraved panels of parallel lines and stylized foliage, diameter 13cm, both with impressed seal marks to the footrim. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014). These pieces were both purchased by Eric Mellon at an exhibition held at Christ’s Hospital Gallery in 1992, they are numbered ‘74’ and ‘131’.

A large Jim Malone Ainstable stoneware studio pottery jar and cover, covered to the foot in an ash glaze, the top half of the body decorated with an impressed band of vertical chevrons, impressed seal marks to side edge, height 24cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

Two pieces of David Leach Lowerdown studio pottery, the first a circular bowl and cover with pale celadon glaze, the cover painted with a foxglove, diameter 11cm, the second a cylindrical brown glazed stoneware vase with horizontal bands of combed decoration, height 10.8cm, impressed seal marks, together with a small group of other stoneware studio pottery pieces, including four Jane Hamlyn specimen vases of conical shape with cupped necks, height 9.5cm (one restored), a pair of St. Ives drum shaped salts, height 3.5cm, and a small Raku fired pot, height 7cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A large Mick Casson stoneware studio pottery jug, salt-glazed, with brush drawn wave like decoration punctuated with spots, the neck with horizontal line detail, impressed seal mark to base edge, height 37cm. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).

A Geoffrey Whiting studio pottery stoneware coffee pot and cover, partially covered in a brown glaze, the cover with mottled glaze detail, impressed seal marks to side edge beneath handle, height 16cm, together with a Rupert Spira studio pottery stoneware mug with brush drawn decoration of stylized foliage in a wide band, impressed seal mark, height 9.5cm, two pieces of David and Margaret Frith Brookhouse Pottery, comprising a vase, height 13cm, and a jug, height 10.5cm, and two other pieces, comprising a vase, height 12cm, and another mug, height 9.2cm, each with impressed seal marks. Provenance: from the personal collection of the ceramic artist, the late Eric James Mellon (1925-2014).