Price: $895.00 Canadian
Artist/Designer: Charlotte Rhead (English, 1885–1947)
Manufacturer: H.J. Wood Ltd (Bursley Ware) — Burslem, Staffordshire, England
Pattern: “Arabesque” Hydrangea (Pattern Code: TL4)
Period/Date: Art Deco, Circa 1930s–1940s
Dimensions: 18 3/8” (46.7 cm) Diameter
Description
An exceptional, exhibition-scale Art Deco earthenware display charger designed by the celebrated English master ceramicist, Charlotte Rhead, during her prominent tenure at Bursley Ware.
This rare, oversized piece features Rhead’s signature “Arabesque” design—an intricate composition of cascading mauve, pink, and vibrant periwinkle blue hydrangeas intertwined with falling oak leaves and stylistic foliage. The entire canvas is framed by a geometric stylized leaf border rendered against an unpretentious cream ground, perfectly balanced by an organic, mottled olive-green rim.
The entire layout is flawlessly executed using the traditional and highly challenging tube-lining technique (a slip-trailing process done completely by hand, elevating each piece to a distinct work of studio art). While standard 11″ to 12″ variants of this pattern exist, this monumental 18 3/8” example represents a premium, exhibition-grade format produced in strictly limited quantities for high-end interior installations.
Backstamp and Signatures
The reverse features a complete set of authentic period markings, including:
•The official underglaze printed factory script mark: “Bursley Ware / Charlotte Rhead / England”.
•Faint hand-painted orange decorator’s brush strokes and distinct alphanumeric tube-liner codes identifying the specific artisan workshop circle that handled the piece.
Condition
Excellent Vintage/Antique Condition. The ceramic body is completely free of hairline cracks, chips, fleabites, structural restoration, or post-factory damage. The front rim is perfectly smooth. Minor, microscopic raised pinhead bumps under the glaze are entirely original to the mid-century kiln firing process. Close-up photographs of the outer rim details, are tiny original factory-nicks in the body during manufacturing measuring approximately 1 mm across.
Display Information
The charger features its original, built-in factory-notched foot rim. These pre-firing cutouts allow wire or cord to be threaded securely through the heavy ceramic base so it can hang perfectly flush against a wall for display without requiring obtrusive external framing hardware.