The wonderful thing about the Decorative Arts Sale at Tennants is that it appeals to all generations – from children, who love the Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson beds with a little carved mouse to be found on every one, their parents who appreciate the simplicity and clean design of the studio pottery of Lucie Rie and Bernard Leach, and the older generations who were attracted to the Linthorpe Art Pottery.  This was evident on Saturday when Tennants saleroom was packed to the doors with interested bidders for their first Decorative Arts & Modern Design sale of the year. 

The highlights of the sale were:

Studio Pottery by David Burnham Smith

Spanning the last two decades, David Burnham Smith’s amazing studio pottery attracted a lot of interest from dedicated collectors and also those people who appreciate its high quality and investment potential. The collection came from a collector in York who was a patron of David Burnham Smith and who decided to sell her collection.

This Modern Studio Master Ceramic Artist watched the sale with interest as 19 pieces of his work went under the hammer.  This was the first major collection of his work ever to be sold in a UK Auction House.  He was delighted by the high demand for his amazing pottery with pieces selling for up to £2,000. 

David Burnham Smith’s contemporary and striking pottery is not easy to come by, as he only completes one or two pieces per month, often as commissions. His work is complex in shape, composition and decoration and is strong on humour, beauty and creativity. 

Arts & Crafts Furniture Now Very Sought After

Diane Sinnott, Head of Decorative Arts at Tennants, said “The interest in this period of furniture is growing rapidly and I believe it’s because people are more aware of good design and want interesting pieces for their homes which are both good to look at, useful and also an investment for the future. The beautifully made and well designed Arts & Crafts period furniture fits the bill perfectly.  Typically, the wood used is English Oak which ages wonderfully to a rich patina and the scale is practical for modern interiors, being the ideal size for most homes. But most importantly it is the design which is universally pleasing to the eye.”

Robert Thomson was known as “The Mouseman”, and he worked in the village of Kilburn, North Yorkshire under the White Horse, producing a wide range of Arts and Crafts English Oak furniture in the early 20th century.  Through a dedicated team of craftsmen his work continues to this day and every piece is recognizable by the little carved mouse which adorns it.

New furniture made of softwoods and MDF will not have any value in 100 years time, but this will.  It has already been proven by coming back into the saleroom many years after it left the Kilburn workshop and still achieving high prices. It is recycling at its best!

Linthorpe Art Pottery

The first part of a large collection of over 200 pieces of  Linthorpe Art Pottery sold for over £17,500 with many bidders being local people from the North East who were interested in owning a piece of local history.  However, because many pieces were designed by Dr. Christopher Dresser whose forward-thinking designs make them highly desirable, this pottery also attracted London buyers.

Linthorpe Art Pottery is best known for its diversity of shape, its complex experimental glazes and its association with Dr Christopher Dresser.  It appeals to collectors and interior designers today for all these reasons and also for its wonderful range and depth of colours.

The Linthorpe Pottery was very short-lived Linthorpe Pottery and only operated for ten years between 1879 and 1889. It was established by John Harrison, a Darlington businessman, on the site of the Sun Brickworks at Linthorpe, Middlesbrough at the suggestion of Dr. Christopher Dresser (Dresser had given a lecture in Darlington in 1874).  Although Dresser was the instigator of this venture, his involvement is very sketchily recorded. However, he introduced Henry Tooth as the manager and as Tooth had no experience of pottery manufacture he ‘stopped-off’ in Stoke-on-Trent ‘to gain a rudimentary knowledge of the art’, according to The Pottery Gazette.

Dresser contributed many designs to Linthorpe but Harrison dispensed with his services in 1882, although the shapes designed by him continued to be used.  John Harrison died in 1889 after a short illness, and the pottery, which had never been profitable, was closed.

Back to Press news

Lot 126. Sold for £1300

Lot 247. Sold for £800