Crocus Design 

These earthenware vessels with Crocus design were made by Clarice Cliff at the A. J. Wilkinson factory in Burslem, England. With its slip-cast construction, each piece shows colorful, hand-painted flowers against an off-white ground. Cliff’s designs, sold under the brand name Bizarre, were aimed at a middle-class market, providing accessibly priced and stylish Art Deco wares. The factory setting influenced both the materials and the mode of production, with semi-mechanized processes allowing for relatively quick replication. The painted decoration was done by young women, who were trained to execute Cliff’s designs efficiently, with the ‘Crocus’ pattern being one of the most popular. Note the contrast between the vessels’ clean, modern forms and the lively, expressive brushwork of the decoration. In this sense, Cliff's work challenges traditional hierarchies between industrial production and individualized craft, bringing artistry to everyday objects.