Magical Moorcroft

A Moorcroft Claremont ginger jar, circa 1920.
Sold at Christie's London in 2010 for ~$2,300.

Moorcroft. No, not Mycroft, Sherlock Holmes's brilliant brother: Moorcroft, as in the brilliantly hued British pottery made in Staffordshire, England. The name, as you might imagine, is taken from that of the company's founder, William Moorcroft.

As a young man, Moorcroft designed pottery for James Macintyre & Co. beginning in1897, the tail end of the Arts and Crafts movement. While employed at Macintyre the designer, in a move that was either proud, prescient or some combination of the two, took the then unusual step of signing or initialing all of his pieces. A few years later, with his name well established, Moorcroft thus had no trouble going into business for himself.

As with William Morris wallpaper, pictured above, many of Moorcroft's designs
are inspired by everyday natural beauty.

The Sherlock Holmes mention works for another reason as well: like the famous sleuth, Moorcroft is regarded as something of an English national treasure. The pottery's popularity took off when Queen Mary, a fan, issued the company a royal warrant. In the modern era, Christie's and Sotheby's have held dedicated  Moorcroft sales (in London of course). Moorcroft is still in business, still privately held and still beloved, though its most sought after pieces stem from around 1920 and no wonder: those early designs are both naturalistic and reductive, a link between Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau.

© Massimo Listri/CORBIS
An Alphonse Mucha-designed jewelry store, circa 1900, now at the Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris.

Classic and highly coveted patterns include Clermont, up top, and Moonlit Blue, below. Individual pieces, of  early 20th century Moorcroft can easily fetch a few thousand dollars at auction. Mid-century pieces of popular designs such as Hibiscus and Anemone fetch a few hundred dollars. Several wonderful examples of Moorcroft are up for bidding soon, many at the reliable Rago Arts and Auction Center in Lambertville, New Jersey.

Moorcroft Moonlit Blue vase, circa 1925.
Sold at Christie's London in 2010 for $1,100

Moorcroft vase, Anemone pattern. At auction September 1st, estimate $400-600.
Note the design similarity to the poppies in the Alphonse Mucha poster, below.

Moorcroft vase in Hibiscus pattern, at Rago on September 1st, estimate $600-900.

Pair of Moorcroft vases, at auction in Florida on September 9th, estimate $300-400.

photo, Simon Upton, designer: Matthew Patrick Smyte, courtesy of Elle Decor.

As we prepare for fall and its stronger colors instead of slipcovers, Moorcroft designs become even more appealing, I think. Which piece would you pick?

photo, Peter Estersohn, interior by Sheila Bridges, courtesy of Elle Decor.