380(?) (Early Series) Trough vase with recurved sides, footed.
Does this shape appear in other series? No - (none recorded). Exactly the same shape, however, was produced by Cornwell's Pottery of Brunswick - see below.
Dimensions; height 11.5 cm, length 21 cm.
Only a single example is recorded, clearly and unmistakably incised Remued 380. It is considered to be authentic and is catalogued here on that basis. Nevertheless there is a question-mark regarding its origins -
- The shape number is a surprise. It falls in the middle of a large gap in Early Series numbering. No other number is recorded for twenty or more places either side of 380. That gap is thought to comprise numbers left unused when the Early Series jumped from 340-odd to the 400 range (see Early Series table).
- The shape is quite unlike anything else in the Remued range, but it matches pieces produced by the well-known pottery Cornwell's, in the northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick not far from Premier.
So what happened here? During the 1930s Premier is known to have employed experienced potters from bigger industrial potteries like Cornwell's, 'moonlighting' to meet production demands. Maybe this is a
workman's piece by a Cornwell potter, glazed and fired at Premier. Such a piece, however, would not be expected to feature a shape number. Furthermore it was made using a mould or moulds, implying it was made at Cornwell's then either taken to Premier for glazing, or signed Remued at Cornwell's and glazed there. Strange, either way. The turquoise and ochre glaze combination could be from either pottery - see below.
A third possibility however, and the most likely explanation, is that when Cornwell's was in the throes of closing down in 1938 the mould found its way along with displaced workers to Premier Pottery. That sort of thing was quite common in the pottery industry. In his book 'Melrose Art Pottery 1931-42' Gregory Hill describes a similar situation arising when Melrose closed four years later. An example is recorded of a bookend made at Premier (or possibly Kerryl) from a Melrose mould.
Another Remued trough is needed to fully verify this shape and number. If you have one please
contact us! There is an unconfrmed report of another one signed Remued but it is not known whether it was numbered.
Foil sticker CORNWELL BRUNSWICK.
Length 26 cm.
Glazes?
The glaze on the 380 Remued trough is not quite typical Remued, nor typical Cornwell either.
These two pieces, however, both have glazes like it. The jug is Remued (
Early Series 47). The vase is unmarked but believed to be from Cornwell's.