Pair of Brannam Pottery Vases
of baluster shape and each decorated, in Brannam’s sgrafito technique, with a leaping carp on a bright blue ground
Height 41 cm (16 inches)
late 19th century
Started by Thomas Backway in 1867, the Devon-based Brannam Pottery works really took off under the aegis of his son, Charles, who moved into the more fashionable ‘Art Pottery’ realm, and invented a new sgrafito technique for decoration. Queen Victoria ordered pieces from them, which gave them much-needed publicity, and they were soon supplying Liberty’s and other London outlets. The pottery remained in family ownership until 1979
