China is Home! (Part I)

Of course you know I'm not from China. I do however get excited when I see china and ironstone, those lovely dishes, jugs and tureens, made in the midlands of England - the area known for Wedgwood, Mason's, Royal Doulton, Royal Albert and many other famous companies of 'The Potteries' around Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire.

However, down in Devon, my home, there were also many potteries started around 1867 which lasted until the 1960's when, sadly, most closed for economic reasons. They were not famous for expensive bone china dinner services, or elegant decorative pieces, but they were kept busy using the area's red earth, terra cotta clay. They fashioned, by hand, everyday dishes used by farmers' wives in their thatched farmhouse cottages, and just ordinary country folk who needed inexpensive 'china' with a bit of primitive decoration. All artwork - illustrations of cottages, roosters, flowers etc., and the written quaint rhymes and proverbs, the 'mottos', were all done by hand, so nothing actually matches, each therefore becoming a piece of now collectible 'art pottery'. This pottery was named 'Devon Motto Ware' and several of the most famous potteries including Watcombe, Aller Vale and St. Marychurch, were just a few minutes drive from my home in Torquay.

Following WWII, when tourists started returning to Torquay, always known as 'Queen of the English Riviera', and the other South Devon seaside resorts, the potteries focused on providing motto ware as souvenirs to take home to London and the Northern counties. The mottos themselves began showing up written in the Devonshire dialect, and as holidaymakers wanted cheap, but pleasing small items to remind them of beautiful Devon, they found them perfect. As a child we would never have considered buying this type of china - it was considered cheap and a bit tacky, and just for 'the visitors' to our lovely town! Now however the pieces remaining are collectibles and reaching unbelievable prices. A lot seemed to go to Canada and has gradually made it's way south into the USA.

................and you say, why is she telling us about more 'china' when we're already collecting transferware, Old Country Roses, original dark blue Wedgwood, and Green Torquay etc. Well this weekend, when I didn't go looking for any china, I received a phone call and got all excited and homesick! If I've piqued your interest and you come back here tomorrow, I'll show you why.........................................

..............meanwhile, enjoy Spring viewing these Devon thatched cottages located in a little village called Cockington, just a 15 minute picturesque country walk from my childhood home.