Charles Ross in Woburn, Bedfordshire, is selling the second and final tranche of a large collection of pottery by one of the Rhead clan, the industrial ceramicist Charlotte Rhead (1885-1947).
Before the first part was dispersed in April, the private collection comprised some 600 pieces and had been billed as possibly the largest assemblage of Rhead’s work to appear on the market.
The September sale includes 250 lots, with the exception of a few pieces of Poole & Honiton pottery.
The group majors on Rhead’s plaques, vases and bowls, which she designed for several Staffordshire potteries. There are more than 50 lots from HJ Wood and Wood & Sons, a handful of pieces from her fruitful Burleigh ware period with Burgess & Leigh and over 150 designs for Grand Ducal.
Many works display the delicate (and difficult) art of tube-lining or slip trailing, for which Rhead was renowned.
A potential star is this Burleigh wall plaque, above, decorated by Rhead herself in the 1920s. The 3ft 6in (42cm) wide piece has tube-line decoration of an ornately dressed lady in profile, holding a bunch of grapes in front a parrot, its wings forming part of the border decoration. With only a few believed to exist, it is estimated at £3500-4000.
Other highlights include a Foley Faience plaque designed by Rhead’s father, Frederick A Rhead (estimate £250-350) and a Charlotte Rhead Crown Ducal ‘Welsh Dragon’ plaque (estimate £700-900).
