S.106 - The Wahine Character Jug (updated)

 Titian Studio's iconic New Zealand souvenir piece.

Original Wahine Jug (S.106)

Cam Brown jnr related this story, as told by his brother Chris. It came to light after Chris saw a promotional segment on television where they were interviewing Cordys owner/auctioneer, Andrew Grigg. A couple of Wahine jugs were included in the upcoming auction of Ngaire Hart’s kiwiana collection.

26th May 2020 Cordys Catalogue – The Ngaire Hart Estate Collection

Cordys in house video on Facebook - The Ngaire Hart Estate Collection

Every Christmas the Brown family set off on trips around New Zealand. It was in 1958 whilst driving through Opotiki on the east coast that the story unfolds. The navigator on these trips was Dorothy. On one occasion Cam Jnr remembers peeking over his mother’s shoulder to see she was holding the map upside down. After that he’d wondered how they ever found their destinations!

They were driving through the main shopping street when Cameron Snr spotted an old Māori woman. She had a tattooed moko, a pounamu hei tiki hanging from her neck, a pipe jutting out of her mouth and a crimson head scarf. He stopped the car, grabbed his camera as he jumped out, and politely asked if he could take a photo of her. Chris was about 8 years old and Cam Jnr about 15. Cam doesn’t remember the incident, but thinks it was because being a teenager in the back of his parent's car was the last place he wanted to be. However, he does have many fond memories of their family’s Christmas holidays.

UPDATE - At a presentation I did in September 2022 for the West Auckland Historical Society one of the attendees mentioned he remembered the old Maori women from when he was a child living in Opotiki. John recognised her straight away as the women represented in the Wahine jug photograph. He went on to say she used to walk miles from her Marae into town to get her supplies. She was well known in the community and he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd been photographed many times over her lifetime. Being a member of the Opotiki facebook group John is going to see if anyone knows any information about this beautiful Kuia. The closest marae I can fine is Terere, about 1.8 kms away, but can't be sure this is the correct marae for her.  Terere | Maori Maps - Terere marae, also known as Terere Moari, is located just south of Ōpōtiki. The primary hapū is Ngāti Ngāhere of Whakatōhea.

From the photo Cameron Snr took he made the mould and slip cast the jugs at the Henderson factory. There are two main differences and they are the colourings of the head scarf. The earlier version, of which no more than fifty were made, had the crimson burned off during firing, giving the scarf a burgundy tinge. With some adjustments to the glaze recipe later versions have the crimson coloured scarf Cameron wanted. The Wahines are coded S.106 and form part of the souvenir range. 


They are hand sprayed with a dark green coat/shawl, a red/crimson scarf and a brown pipe. The faces and moko are hand painted as was the pipe and hei-tiki, so each piece is slightly different. The jugs have Wahine impressed into the dark green on the reverse. Some pieces have retained the 'Paramount Art Ware - Crafted by British Craftsmen' sticker, on the handle. They were sold through Farmers Trading Company from 1958 up until 1965.

     
         Paramount Art Ware sticker

Below is another example in the honey glaze. Though this is an ‘off the shelf’ glaze and was commonly used by other potteries, it is uncommon to find a Wahine in this glaze. The only other major variation I'm aware of is a piece with 'Matriarch' imprinted on the reverse rather than Wahine.

(Image courtesy of Fee Wanganui)

Please click the three little lines on the top of the page to follow me as I delve deeper into the shelves of my collection. You'll also find info about me and helpful links. I would appreciate it if you could share my blog with others. 

Thank you, and happy days.
Louise

Photos taken by Philip Moll Photography

©Louise de Varga 2022 - Content and pictures in this blog 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

B.102 - Double Handled Footed Vase

Image
  One vase shape in multiple glazes B.102 Grey Stone with Wheat decoration The raised ear of wheat was incorporated into various mould designs. The wheat image was carefully wiped to reveal the white body underneath. Many of pieces that have the wheat pattern aren't numbered but instead have a Presley Ware sticker.  B.102 Pink with Gold handles This is my absolute favourite B.102 vase. I've only seen one other gold handled piece, owned by another collector, in pale green with gold handles. B.102 Mahogany Woodgrain B.102 Oak Woodgrain From 1957, Cameron Brown alongside Teddy Rennie, created the woodgrain glaze in oak and mahogany.  A light brown glaze was  airbrushed onto the pieces, then fine lines of darker brown painted over the top.  George Courts of Karangahape Road and John Courts in Queen Street bought £3,000 worth of Woodgrain earthenware and had their whole shop windows full of it. B.102 Pink and Grey   B.102 Black outer, Yellow inner B.102 Colbalt From what I've re
Read more

WV.104 - Swoose Wall Vase

Image
So what exactly is a Swoose? Prototype Swoose  - from the collection of Jack* & Rose Brown The yellow Swoose Wall Vase is heavy and chunky indicating the slip was left in the mould for longer than necessary. Also, the glaze is excessively thick. The reverse has three raised firing feet and a keyhole hanging hole, the same as the Sherwood Gainsborough Blue Boy and Pinkie Wall Vase. Here's the link to the Sherwood blog showing the wall vase. Dave Jenkin and Cameron Brown were both dying of cancer. At one of Dave’s last visits to his friend, they chuckled whilst reminiscing over their long friendship and their time in the pottery industry. Cam Jnr quietly listened to their great memories. Both men died in 2002, only a few weeks apart. They had worked at Crown Lynn together in 1948/49 and became great friends. Dave was Crown Lynn’s chief design artist. He designed some very well known pieces including Crown Lynn's earthenware ' Expo '70 Legend of Maui, Sushi Platter &
Read more

It's an Itsy Bitsy Spider Vase

Image
 Look away now if you don't like spiders! Sherwood Spider Vase - Side one The original spider vases, with the hand-painted black spider, were made during the Sherwood era , sometime between 1949 and 1954 at Waitakere. A rather realistic spider waits patiently for its next meal on a web strung between two branches. Pinecones sit at the base of this triangular vase.  Why do I like these vases? They remind me of webs sparkling with dew at dawn in our native garden we planted over twenty years ago. I try to be aware of them not only for their beauty, but because they're soooo sticky if you walk into one at head height. Never been one for spiders though, especially the huntsman that come in unexpectedly through our windows. I've only briefly met a white tail spider and that was inside the hood of my raincoat I'd just put on. Danny spotted it and told me, 'Stand Still!! Stand Very Still!!' before flicking it away.   Sherwood Spider Vase (Side two) With the early examp
Read more