Vintage Burleigh Ware Starburst Cream and Black Ceramic Jug, Burgess and Leigh England

At 15 cm tall and 18 cm wide, this Burleigh Ware starburst cream and black ceramic jug has the sculptural asymmetrical form and bold two-tone palette that make the atomic starburst series one of the most visually arresting of all mid-century English pottery ranges, the cream exterior and glossy black interior providing a graphic ground for the starburst decoration that reads with the confidence of a piece designed to be noticed.

Made by Burgess and Leigh of Burslem, Staffordshire, this jug is the mid-sized piece in the Burleigh Ware atomic starburst series, larger than the pitcher (CBD-0019) and smaller than the ewer (CBD-0021), and its sculptural asymmetrical form, with its angled spout and offset handle, gives it a dynamic quality that distinguishes it from the more conventional jug forms in the Burleigh Ware range. The atomic starburst decoration, with its radiating lines and central burst, is one of the defining motifs of mid-century modern design, and Burleigh Ware's application of it to this boldly formed jug produces a piece that captures the optimistic, forward-looking spirit of the 1950s and 1960s with particular directness. The piece is in good condition throughout.

• Maker: Burleigh Ware (Burgess and Leigh), Burslem, England
• Dimensions: 15 cm (H) x 18 cm (W)
• Condition: Good
• Features: Cream exterior, glossy black interior, atomic starburst decoration, asymmetrical form
• Period: 20th century
• SKU: CBD-0020

A distinctive mid-century English pottery piece. Pairs naturally with the starburst ewer (CBD-0021) and the starburst pitcher (CBD-0019) to complete the Burleigh Ware Atomic grouping in the Burleigh Ware collection.