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Wedgwood and Nature: Fish Vase by Elwyn James

One of the most unusual studio pots ever produced at the Wedgwood factory was crafted by the talented and popular ceramic artist, Elwyn James (1943-77).

Elwyn always had an eye for the unusual and here his observations of fish studies have been meticulously hand-carved into unfired bone china, while it was still cheese-hard.

Elwyn took great delight in following factory traditions of working with experimental glazes, and we see here how these have been used to great advantage creating a lifelike sheen to the scales of each individual marine subject.

Elwyn developed many new and unusual shapes and glazes, and delighted in working in the notoriously difficult bone china body.

As well as his studio work, Elwyn travelled as a craftsman ambassador to many overseas Wedgwood retail outlets throughout Canada, Australia and the United States.

His untimely and sudden death in November 1977 ended a promising career that still had much to offer.

This dramatic fish vase, although produced as a studio pot, was sold in limited quantities in the 1970s.

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