Candelabra

This candelabra was created by William Fishley Holland, sometime between 1940 and 1960. William was born in 1889, the great great grandson of George Fishley.

George Fishley established a long lasting dynasty of potters, opening a pottery at Fremington, North Devon in 1811. Over the decades members of the Fishley family were renowned for their ceramic work. Born at Instow, just west of Fremington, in 1770, George brought up his three sons to become potters themselves. In 1839 Edmund took over the pottery and was eventually succeeded by George’s grandson Edwin Beer Fishley in 1860. Edwin continued the business until his death in 1912, when his grandson William Fishley Holland moved the pottery from Fremington to Braunton. From 1921, William moved to Clevedon in Somerset, to take on the Sunflower Pottery at Clevedon Court when Sir Edmund Elton died. William remained in Clevedon until 1930, continuing the family tradition. Like the Fishley forerunners, William Fishley Holland worked in earthenware. Before leaving Braunton he taught Michael Cardew throwing techniques.


During the early period, the family produced everyday ware and ornamental goods, selling most of its wares locally.  The natural imagery we see depicted here reflects the rural community that the Fremington Pottery served: an agricultural population who would have appreciated a rich harvest and abundance of nature. However Fremington pots were also traded outside of Devon; many of the items travelled across the sea to Cornwall and other to South Wales by way of returning coal boats. Ceramic wares were loaded onto boats at the nearby quayside on the River Taw, a place so frequently used for pottery business that it became known as ‘Fishley’s Quay’.

Fremington offered a rich supply of red clay to form the bodies of pots. Local river gravel was mixed into the clay to strengthen it and improve the durability of utilitarian ware. Imported from Wales, galena or lead sulphide was used as a glaze over the pot’s surface to give a golden yellow colour.

North Devon pottery is classified as earthenware – a form of pottery made throughout pre-industrial England. This candelabra consists of a circular base in a trumpet form. The stem is tapered and shows to upright curved branches. The ceramic uses a brown fabric with a green slip. A dark green glazed was added on top. The decoration shows a vine, modelled in relief, which grows up from base towards three fruiting stems which function as candle holders. The maker’s mark was incised under the base: W.F.Holland.

Object Summary

Accession Loan No.
223/1982
Collection Class
Studio ceramics
Material
earthenware
Common Name
candelabra
Simple Name
candelabra
Period Classification
World War II (1939-1945); Modern (1945-)
Production Town
Clevedon
Production County
Somerset
Production Country
United Kingdom: England
Production Person Initials
William
Production Person Surname
Fishley Holland
Production Year Low
1940
Production Year High
1960

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candelabra