An expert eye for quality

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 6

An expert eye for quality

What makes people collect Royal Doulton Chinaware? After all, they are just plates, jugs and cups, albeit quality ones. Ms Louise Irvine, the Royal Doulton Company’s top ceramic expert and director of the Royal Doulton International Collectors’ Club, said in Christchurch yesterday that collectors had many reasons for acquiring Doulton ware. “I think mainly is the diversity of Doulton. The company has, - over the years, made a vast range of items. Most people collect one or maybe two aspects of Doulton. The most popular would be figures and toby jugs,” she said. Ms Irvine is in New Zealand to explain the latest in collectables and to answer queries. Another attraction for collectors was the human

content in the making of the ware, she said. “Craftsmanship is still very apparent in Doulton. It is the artistry that attracts people, the hand painting of the plates,” she said. For many collectors china-ware was a link with their past and tradition. “Some of the pieces that I have seen since being in New Zealand are actually very old. They would have arrived with the First Four Ships,” Ms Irvine said. “These are family treasures that have been passed down with care through generations.” The Royal Doulton name was also attractive to collectors. "We use the name Royal Doulton by Royal bequest and there is a long association with the Royal Family. The Princess of Wales visited the factories shortly

before I left London,” Ms Irvine said. A fine arts graduate, Ms Irvine joined Royal Doulton in 1977 to curate an exhibition in London called “The Doulton Story.” The most often asked question is the age of a particular piece. To determine its age, Ms Irvine checks for the company’s mark on the piece, no easy task as the company has used more than 70 marks in its 170-year history. Once the mark is identified, the period in which the item was made is known, and sometimes also the studio in which it was made. If there are no marks — most pieces carry them — Ms Irvine is usually able to recognise the style of the piece as being from a particular period. Ms Irvine has brought with her to New Zealand

much of the literature written about Doulton ware. Soon after she joined the company, its historical department was formed and “The Doulton Story” exhibition organised. She wrote the history of the company and a book on series ware, volume 2, which was released in New Zealand to coincide with her visit. She also edits the company’s quarterly magazine and writes for several magazines. After an illustrated lecture in Christchurch last evening and two days meeting collectors, Ms Irvine will visit Ashburton, Dunedin, and Wellington before returning to London.. She says she enjoys the extensive travelling she does in promoting Royal Doulton ware. She is also a keen collector of Doulton herself.