A vintage Moorcroft Flambé footed bowl in the Orchid pattern by Walter Moorcroft.
The diameter is 117mm (4.60'') and the height 38mm (1.49'').
The orchid pattern was originally developed by William Moorcroft c1937 and further developed by Walter Moorcroft in the 1940's and 1950's.
Regarding age it can be difficult to assess with absolute certainty as some production runs could be quite long, and it was not until 1990 that Moorcroft began using year cyphers to show when an item was actually made.
As a there is no year cypher on the bowl the latest possible date of manufacture would be 1989 however there are a number of ways to narrow this down.
The MOORCROFT and MADE IN ENGLAND backstamps suggest a date range c1949 to 1986.
Referral to reference book states the orchid design was last used in 1972.
From the detail above the age can reasonably be assessed as c1950's/60's and in any event of genuine vintage age.
Having a Flambé glaze also gives this bowl an added dimension and very likely will be of even further interest to a collector. Flambé firing took place at the Moorcroft Cobridge site until 1970 when the arrival of natural gas meant there would not be the right atmospheric conditions in the kiln, and the oven was later demolished in 1973.
The combination of the orchid design and the colourway on this small footed bowl appears to offer quite a rare item.
The bowl has been closely inspected and is in excellent condition.
This Moorcroft Flambé footed bowl in the Orchid pattern is available to order online or can be purchased from the Antiques Centre in York where it is displayed in Cabinet 138 situated on the Lower Ground Floor, along with other items of Moorcroft Pottery from early vintage pieces to more modern times.
Please Note: This item is offered for sale for purposes of display, collecting etc and may not be suitable for use with foodstuff.
