Rare Antique Watcombe Torquay Purple Hand-Painted Floral Pitcher with Brown Handle

At 12 cm tall, this Watcombe Torquay purple ceramic pitcher with its white hand-painted flowers and contrasting brown handle is a characterful piece of antique English art pottery, the brushed purple glaze over the distinctive red Devon clay body giving the piece a richness of colour and surface that the more widely known terracotta-ground Torquay wares cannot match.

Made by the Watcombe Pottery of Torquay, Devon, in the late 19th to early 20th century, this pitcher is an example of the decorative art pottery produced by one of the founding studios of the Torquay pottery movement. The Watcombe Pottery, established in 1869, was among the first of the Torquay potteries to exploit the distinctive red clay found in the cliffs around Torquay, and its early wares, of which this pitcher is an example, show the studio's willingness to experiment with coloured glazes and hand-painted decoration alongside the more familiar unglazed terracotta work. The purple brushed glaze, applied over the red Devon clay body, creates a surface of considerable depth and warmth, and the white hand-painted floral decoration, rendered with the confident brushwork characteristic of the Torquay tradition, provides a vivid contrast against the dark ground. The brown handle, which echoes the natural colour of the clay body, completes the piece with a practical and decorative note. The piece is in good condition throughout.

• Maker: Watcombe Pottery, Torquay, Devon, England
• Dimensions: 12 cm (H) x 11.5 cm (W)
• Condition: Good
• Features: Purple brushed glaze over red Devon clay, white hand-painted floral decoration, brown handle
• Period: Late 19th to early 20th century
• SKU: CBD-0026

A rare and characterful piece of antique Torquay art pottery from one of the movement's founding studios. Pairs naturally with the Poole Pottery hand-painted floral vase (SKU-00288) and the wider Ceramics collection.