A very striking and rare mid century vintage Poole Pottery seafood hors d'oeuvre set consisting of five ceramic dishes that fit snugly into a circular wooden tray. Each crescent shaped dish is decorated with a hand painted pattern of a shrimp, a flatfish, a crab and a scallop - designed by Truda Carter and hand painted on Poole Pottery's alpine white glaze. Each piece is stamped to its underside "Handmade Hand Decorated Poole England", along with the paintress's mark.

The dishes can be also arranged out of the tray, as shown in one of the images.

History

No other UK pottery has consistently reflected the spirit of its age: from the jazz-age designs of the 1920s and 30s; the clean Festival of Britain shapes and patterns of the 1950s; through to the explosive colour and abstractions used to decorate the amoeboid shapes of the 1960s and 70s. Poole Pottery was always at the forefront of change and adapted to each decade with bold, striking and popular designs.

Poole Pottery was a tile and architectural ceramics company that started life as Carter & Co in 1873 on Poole quayside in Dorset. It changed to Carter Stabler & Adams 1921, when Jesse Carter joined forces with designers Harold Stabler and Phoebe Stabler, along with potters John Adams and Truda Adams (formerly Truda Carter). Throughout the 1930s Carter Stabler & Adams (CSA) produced much of the ceramic tiling used on London Underground stations, and were leaders in decorative hand painted pottery, much of which has become very collectable today.

Throughout the 1920s and 30s their contemporary ceramics range was based on the work of the chief designer Truda Carter, who coincidentally designed this hors d’hoeuvres set. Her original jazz modern (Art Deco) designs were interpreted by paintresses who added their own individuality to the decoration of vases, plates, chargers, bookends, lamp bases, candlesticks, tiles for the home, and decorative figures – much of which was sold though leading London stores, such as Liberty and Heal & Son.

CSA eventually became Poole Pottery, and after World War II produced many lines, including adaptations of its Traditional ranges, such as this wonderful 1950s hors d’hoeuvres set designed to hold seafood dips and nibbles.

Country of origin: UK

Date of manufacture: 1952 - 1955

Manufactured by: Carter, Stabler & Adams / Poole Pottery

Material: ceramic

Dimensions: Diameter 30.5cm  Height 4cm

Condition: immaculate, with just a little discolouration to the wooden tray.