A very rare and absolutely beautiful 12 inch tall Flambé Banded Pomegranate Baluster Vase from the hand of William Moorcroft. This vase dates to circa 1925 and carries Williams full signature in blue and also the impressed Cobridge factory marks and the shape number which we believe is 46. The 'simplified Pomegranate' design was introduced in the 1920's to fit in with the Art Deco movement, with linear and geometric design being applied in harmony with the Art Nouveau patterns of the early 1900's.
Banded wares are particularly rare, and few pieces become available. We have only ever seen three other examples of banded Pomegranate in Flambé glaze, and these were much smaller pieces standing only 5 inches tall. There is only one example photographed in Moorcroft (revised Edition 1897 to 1993) by Paul Atterbury and we have been unable to find another vase in this pattern available for sale in the UK.
This vase is a wonderful deep ruby red colour, with subtle 'walnut shell' mottling to both the Pomegranate fruits and the darker bands, giving the vase a stunning depth. The vase is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, glaze crazing or restoration, however there are a couple of small scratches to the body which are barely noticeable and mentioned for complete accuracy.
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. 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.
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 provenance and further details to any serious prospective purchaser.
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