Titian Studio Pottery Blog

 What is Titian Studio's Missing S.108 Piece? Handpainted Souvenir Plate - S.107 You have to be a strong person to not get caught buying at least one souvenir trinket on your travels. The minimum would be a postcard, but there's key rings, kiwi soft toys and tee shirts to entice you. Back in the fifties and sixties, the health consequences of smoking weren’t fully understood, so what could be better than an ashtray. They were practical, small enough to disappear into luggage, and an appreciated item bringing back holiday memories with every flick of ash. Pre-1957 Cameron Brown's souvenir range was marked on the base with the Titian Studio green slash, and sometimes the product name scratched through a separate green slash. After 1957, the souvenir range was given a 'S' product code and fresh moulds were made.   Early version of the S.100 - Square Ashtray Images and greetings -  ‘Kia Ora’ or ‘Greetings from'  would be sgraffito through a black or dark green glaze

Finding my first piece of Titian Studio pottery ( see original blog ) unearthed my hunter, gatherer instinct. I set about purchasing more of these beautifully crafted pieces. Cordys Auction Catalogue - June 2017 I began scouring Trademe, eBay, op shops and antique shops. Whilst surfing the internet I came across  Cordy's Auction House  in Auckland. Here was an excellent opportunity to purchase a couple of new to me pieces, and begin the slippery slope of emptying my pockets for a good cause. But there was a problem! How on earth would I get over my trepidation of attending my first ever auction? Hubby and I went along to the auction viewing day. There were lots of people looking, pondering and scribbling notes on photocopied auction catalogues. Below are some auction tips for you. - Ask at the office for a free photocopied catalogue, which lists lot names and numbers. - If an item is on a table, you can pick it up. It's your opportunity to check for faults. You might notice a c

Just how English is this Galleon? With billowing sails, a rough sea, and an English flag atop the main mask you'd easily believe you were looking at an English crafted piece. Old invoice shows this beautifully moulded piece was sold through Farmers Trading Company in the mid 1950s to early 1960s. Unfortunately, the buying public had an aversion to purchasing New Zealand made artware. They wrongly believed locally made ceramics were inferior to English products. The Browns came up with a solution to overcome this issue.  Underneath the galleon you'll see the usual Titian Studio green slash. However 'G-1 British' has been scratched into the base. This was enough to convince buyers that they were looking at a British made piece. The Galleon became a popular seller through Farmers. Another version of the Galleon has a flat back. It was made to be set up as a lampbase. Gaylite purchased lampbases off a number of suppliers before converting them into working lights. Another t