Portmeirion is a British pottery company based in
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
, England.
History
Portmeirion Pottery began in 1960 when
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
designer
Susan Williams-Ellis (daughter of Sir
Clough Williams-Ellis
Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis, CBE, MC (28 May 1883 – 9 April 1978) was a Welsh architect known chiefly as the creator of the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales. He became a major figure in the development of Welsh architec ...
, who created the Italian-style
Portmeirion
Portmeirion is a tourist village in Gwynedd, North Wales. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village, and is now owned by a charitable trust. The village is located in the com ...
Village in North Wales) and her husband, Euan Cooper-Willis, took over a small pottery-decorating company in
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
called
A. E. Gray Ltd, also known as Gray's Pottery. Susan Williams-Ellis had been working with A.E. Gray for some years, commissioning designs to sell at the gift shop in Portmeirion Village, the items bearing the backstamp "Gray's Pottery Portmeirionware". In 1961, the couple purchased a second pottery company, Kirkhams Ltd, that had the capacity to manufacture pottery, and not only decorate it. These two businesses were combined and Portmeirion Potteries Ltd was born.
Susan Williams-Ellis' early Portmeirion designs included Malachite (1960), Moss Agate (1961) and Talisman (1962). In 1963, she created the popular design Totem, an abstract pattern based on primitive forms coupled with a cylindrical shape.
She later created Magic City (1966) and Magic Garden (1970), but arguably Portmeirion's most recognised design is the Botanic Garden range, decorated with a variety of floral illustrations adapted from Thomas Green's ''Universal or-Botanical, Medical and Agricultural Dictionary'' (1817), and looking back to a tradition begun by the
Chelsea porcelain factory
Chelsea porcelain is the porcelain made by the Chelsea porcelain manufactory, the first important porcelain manufactory in England, established around 1743–45, and operating independently until 1770, when it was merged with Derby porcelain. ...
's "botanical" designs of the 1750s. It was launched in 1972 and, with new designs added periodically, is still made today, the most successful ceramics series of botanical subjects. More recent designs have included
Sophie Conran
Henrietta Sophia Conran, known as Sophie Conran (born October 1965) is a designer, retailer, cook and author. She is the founder and director of the Sophie Conran Shop.
Early life
Conran is the daughter of designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Co ...
's ''Crazy Daisy'' and ''Dawn Chorus''.
On 23 April 2009, Portmeirion Potteries Ltd purchased the
Royal Worcester
Royal Worcester is a porcelain brand based in Worcester, England. It was established in 1751 and is believed to be the oldest or second oldest remaining English porcelain brand still in existence today, although this is disputed by Royal Crown De ...
and
Spode
Spode is an English brand of pottery and homewares produced by the company of the same name, which is based in Stoke-on-Trent, England.
Spode was founded by Josiah Spode (1733–1797) in 1770, and was responsible for perfecting two extremely ...
brands, after they had been placed into
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
the previous November. Portmeirion Potteries has since changed its company name to Portmeirion Group to reflect this acquisition.
[David Johnson]
Article in The Staffordshire Sentinel on 16.12.10, ''The Sentinel''
/ref> The purchase did not include the manufacturing facilities of Royal Worcester or Spode. The manufacture of much of Spode's ware was returned to Britain from the Far East, to the Portmeirion Group's factory in Stoke-on-Trent.
In 2019, the Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
mounted an exhibition of Portmeirion pottery.
References
Further reading
* Jenkins, Stephen, & Mckay, Stephen 2000. ''Portmeirion Pottery''. Richard Dennis. .
External links
Official website
Resource website for Grays Pottery
Portmeirion Pottery Collectors' Website
(archive only)
{{Authority control
Ceramics manufacturers of England
Welsh pottery
Staffordshire pottery
Companies based in Stoke-on-Trent
Design companies established in 1960
British companies established in 1960
Manufacturing companies established in 1960
1960 establishments in England
Privately held companies of the United Kingdom