The Potteries Auctions May auction includes a good collection of Beswick pieces by designer Colin Melbourne. This great collection includes 12 pieces such as the Clown on Horse (small version Model No 1470), Seated Cat (black and cream Model No 1412), the Slinking Fox (black and brown colourways Model No 1418) and our favourites the Lion (Model No 1419) and Bison (Model No 1418).

Colin Melbourne (1928-2009) was a prolific artist and designer throughout his career, with some of his most famous work being from his time designing for Beswick. Colin got his start in the pottery world when he trained as a modeller at the Burslem School of Art and went on to work as an assistant modeller at Wedgwood. However, he soon then won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, and once he graduated he went on to work for many local potteries. During the 1950s, he put his name and designs to many items, ranging from dinnerware to stylised figures of animals for big names such as Beswick, Crown Devon, Royal Norfolk, W H Bossons, W R Midwinter Ltd, Wade, Wedgwood, and more.

Colin visited the Beswick factory in 1955, where Ewart Beswick, the Managing Director at the time, commissioned him to produce a modern range of ceramics. The following year, his range was released and included everything from animals and birds to dishes and vases in many different colours and designs.

In the later part of the 1960s, he began to teach art and later went on to become the Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design at North Staffordshire Polytechnic. Colin was known for championing the role that art and design could and should play in ordinary people’s lives and the difference it made to society, becoming an influential figure in art education as well as in pottery circles.

The sale takes place on the 7th and 8th May at Potteries Auctions, Silverdale Salerooms, Unit 4A Silverdale Enterprise Park, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 6SS.

For more information visit https://www.potteriesauctions.com/