Cornish Ware

 Cornish Ware 

easily recognized by '

Cornish Ware 

its simple blue-and-white bands, and is redolent of good old-fashioned country kitchens. The huge range of shapes - and there are even co lour variations - gives a great deal of scope to form a collection.

Most people have one or two pieces of Cornish ware tucked away in a kitchen cupboard, or perhaps proudly displayed on a dresser.

Cornish Ware 

True Cornish ware was produced by T.G. Green of Church Gresley, in Derbyshire, from the 1920s onwards, its popularity reaching a peak in the 1940s and 50s. The name is said to have come from one of the firm's employees who, on returning from holiday in Cornwall, saw the new range and said that the blue was like the Cornish skies and the white like the crests of Cornish waves.

By the 1980s Cornish ware had declined in popularity, and the rights to make it were sold to Cloverleaf of Swindon. In 2001 the rights passed to Mason Cash & Co., who are still manufacturing it. The market for vintage pieces from the 1930s to the 50s soared in the mid-90s. Prices have fallen over the past five years, although they have recently become more stable, and rare pieces will always be popular.

Cornish miscellany

A vast number of household objects were made, including storage jars, rolling pins, plates, and jugs. The age of an item of Cornishware is often indicated by its shape, since ceramics tend to mirror the fashions of the period. Most pieces before the 1960s were rounded, but Judith Onions, who designed for T.G. Green from 1968, introduced streamlined shapes with clean, modern lines.

Cornish Ware 

Church and shield

Maker's marks on the bottom of a piece will help with identification and dating. Early marks from the 1920s to the 40s are printed in green and show the church at Church Gresley, the pottery's home. But most original Cornishware bears a printed mark (in black or green) in a shield that incorporates the factory name and is crossed by the words 'Cornish Kitchen Ware'. Be wary of storage jars with named

Cornish Ware 

contents ('Sugar', Tea', and so on) and the green shield mark: the contents label may have been added later to make a common jar appear to be rare. A 'target'-shaped mark was used between 1968 and 1980 for the range designed by Onions, but from 1980 until 1987 the mark included the church motif once again. Stamped markings that say 'Made in England' or marks including the word Chefware' are not authentic T.G.Green Cornish ware.

The price of prunes

Prices range from as little as ±5-15 for a blue-and-white mug or plate, up to

Cornish Ware 

£300 or more for a storage jar marked with the name of

an ingredient that is uncommon nowadays, such as lard or meal.

Jars for standard ingredients such as flour, tea, coffee, and sugar are easier to find, and usually cost .£50 or less. Jars for expensive or uncommon ingredients, such as prunes, cocoa, and borax, are rare: prices often start at about £100.

T.G. Green often undertook special commissions, by request, for unique ingredient names and certain brand names. As these were produced in small runs, they are usually valuable.

Cornish Ware 

Pot red

Although blue and white is the most characteristic colour combination, Cornishware has been made in other colours. Red bands are the rarest. 

Cornish Ware 

This range was produced as an experiment during the 1960s and never went into full production. Prices can rise to £200 or more, depending on the shape and type of item. Other colours to look out for include gold, yellow, orange,

green, and black, all produced from the 1970s onwards. A yellow-banded egg cup can be worth around £5-10, a green-banded cafetiere about £70-100. 
As well as banded pieces, T.G. Green also launched a blue-and-white range in a polka-dot pattern, known as Domino'. Although less popular, it is still collectable, and a small milk jug will usually fetch around £40.