An absolutely stunning and fresh to the market 6 inch tall Flambé Leaf and Blackberry Vase from the hand of William Moorcroft. This vase dates from 1928 and carries Williams full signature in blue, and also the impressed Royal Warrant mark 'Potter to HM the Queen', the queen in this instance being Queen Mary who awarded the Royal Warrant to Moorcroft on the 28th March 1928.
The vase is a fired in the much lighter blush flambé and has wonderful subtle hues of blues, greens and yellow. The Leaf and Blackberry design is very much rarer than the more usually seen Leaf and Berry, and whilst the difference is subtle, it is a highly sought after pattern due to the small numbers produced compared to its sister design.
The flambé process was an incredibly difficult technique producing many more failures than perfect pieces, and real gold was used to create the briliant rich red colours. Leaf and Berry (or Autumn Leaves) was primarily created as a vehicle for the Flambé technique and the subtle variation in this vase demonstrates it to perfection. Moorcroft became a master of the process and relished the 'chance' element that made each and every piece unique. He took control of the glazing and firing of the pieces himself, firing the kiln on his own, nursing it through the very difficult but vital transmutation process wholly unaided.
The vase is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks or restoration, but has a light overall glaze crazing as can be expected for a piece of Moorcroft of this age.
This particular vase has been in a large private collection, with many pieces having been purchased directly from William Moorcroft himself. We would be happy to provide further details of its provenance to any serious prospective purchaser.
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