Ruskin Pottery Inkwell

This circular ceramic inkwell is an example of early 20th-century English art pottery, finished in the vibrant glazes that made Ruskin Pottery world-famous.

Visual Description

• The Form: The set consists of a low, cylindrical base with a recessed central well and a matching domed cover. The cover features a simple, circular knob handle and a large, crescent-shaped opening.

• Functional Design of the Lid The lid is specifically engineered to protect the ink from evaporation and dust while maintaining a streamlined appearance.

• • The Mechanism: The cover is designed to be rotated by the user.
  • Open Position: To use the inkwell, the user turns the lid until the crescent-shaped opening in the cover aligns perfectly with the matching aperture in the lower pottery well.
  • Closed Position: When writing is finished, the lid is turned so that the crescent hole rests securely over a solid ceramic ledge on the base, effectively “sealing” the reservoir.
• The Glaze: The piece is finished in a brilliant apple-green glaze with a contrasting band of turquoise crystalline glaze encircling the shoulder of the base. The interior of the well shows a darker, mottled effect where the glaze has pooled.
• Markings: The underside bears the impressed factory mark “RUSKIN” in block letters, alongside the stamped date “1913”.

About Ruskin Pottery

Ruskin Pottery was an English art pottery studio founded in 1898 by William Howson Taylor in Smethwick, near Birmingham.

• Naming: The studio was named in honor of John Ruskin, the influential art critic and social theorist whose values of hand-craftsmanship and natural beauty inspired the Arts and Crafts movement.
• Glaze Innovations: Howson Taylor was a master chemist who specialized in experimental glazes. The firm became renowned for its “soufflé” glazes, high-fired “flambé” glazes (mimicking Chinese Ming dynasty ceramics), and the crystalline glazes seen on this inkwell, which feature visible mineral “crystals” suspended in the finish.
• Legacy: The pottery closed in 1935 when Taylor, who had never written down his secret glaze formulas, chose to destroy them rather than allow them to be industrialized or used by others.

Historical Significance

The 1913 date stamp on this piece marks it as a product of Ruskin’s “Golden Age.” During this period, the pottery won numerous Grand Prix awards at international exhibitions in London, Brussels, and Paris. Crystalline glaze pieces from this era are highly prized for their unique, non-repeating patterns and vivid coloration.