FINE CHINA APPRECIATED

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32120, 16 October 1969, Page 3

FINE CHINA APPRECIATED

Christchurch people had a wonderful appreciation of fine china and porcelain better than anywhere else in New Zealand, a visiting representative of the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company, Ltd, Mr John Roberts-Powell, said this week. Mr Roberts-Powell, overseas sales manager tor Royal Worcester, Is visiting New Zealand as part of a world tour to introduce and promote new production lines from the company-

lie said in Christchurch that sales of Royal Worcester products had more than doubled in New Zealand in the last 18 months. Most products had sold remarkably

well in Christchurch. New lines, to be available soon, included a wide range of porcelain ovenware, available for the first time on the world market, he said.

Other products were porcelain dinner, tea and coffee sets, and fine bone china figurines, vases and gift items. Made in limited editions only, many figurines produced by the company soon became collectors’ Items, Mr RobertsPowell said. The most popular of these in New Zealand had been fine bone china models of New Zealand cattle.

Miss Marjorie Stewart, a representative of Manufacturers’ Agencies, Auckland, is touring New Zealand with Mr Roberts-Powell. She said she would like to see restrictions lifted on import licensing to

allow more of these products to be available. Miss Stewart also said she hoped to see Royal Worcester products shipped by container to New Zealand. This would limit the incidence of theft and breakage. Mr Roberts-Powell said the company was always looking for new designs as well as reproducing designs over 200 years old. The company also handled a great deal of work commissioned by the Royal family for presentation overseas. The latest of these was a figurine of the Duke of Edinburgh on a polo horse produced this year in a limited edition. This figurine was made to match one of the Queen on a horse, 100 of which were made in 1948. Seven of these collectors’ items came to New Zealand.

One of the most important aspects of producing bestquality bone china and porcelain was hygiene, Mr RobertsPowell said. In this respect a china factory might be likened to a bakery. Dust particles or foreign matter, even in the air, could create a flaw in china while it was being made. With the rapid expansion of the company over the last five or six years a great deal of technical equipment was being used, but the company retained skilled craftsmen who could still use hand methods where needed. From New Zealand he will travel on to Hong Kong, Japan, and Middle and Far East countries.

The photograph shows a figurine of a Jersey bull in fine, bone china.