Rare Antique Wardle England Pottery Planter Jardiniere Classical Women Dancing. Very Art Nouveau pattern. The top measures 6 1/4" across, the center would be slightly more, the flat base is 4 1/8" wide, it is 5 1/4" tall; it weighs 1 pounds 10 ounces. The base has the earliest backstamp impressed mark Wardle England. This dates 1871 - 1891 era. There is a single top edge chip that is on the underside of the lip and is very repairable if one close to do so, otherwise just some normal age crazing on the bottom - see detailed photos.
Wardle & Co (Ltd) Shelton (Hanley) 1871 - 1910
Earthenware, Parian, Majolica manufacturer at William Street and then the Washington Works, Shelton (Hanley), Stoke-on-Trent.
Formerly James Wardle - the business was renamed to Wardle & Co in 1871 when James died and his wife Eliza took over the business which continued at the William Street Works (in the mid 1950s William Street was renamed to Yates Street).
A potter named Thomas Forester joined the business and it appears that at Wardle & Co he mastered the production of majolica ware. Around 1874/5 Forester left to take charge of the works of Messrs. Peterinck & Son at Tournai in Belgium.
1882 they moved to the newly built Washington Works in nearby Victoria Road (now named College Road). Eliza's son-in-law David Jones was appointed as works manager with Eliza's two sons William Wallace and later Frederick Charles acting as assistants.
In 1885 a new range of art pottery was introduced. An advert of that year noted that "the finish is admitted to be superior to their past productions..."
In 1899 David Jones took over management of the factory. Frederick Hurten Rhead was appointed as art director (at the age of 19) and strongly influenced the development of art ware.
Frederick H Rhead's sister, Charlotte Rhead, joined the factory in 1901 - working as a tube-liner.
In 1902 Frederick H Rhead emigrated to the U.S.A. and his brother Harry took over the position of art director at Wardle's.
The business was incorporated as Limited Company in 1903. With David Jones as Managing Director, G.G. MacWilliam as Chairman (who was also responsible for the London showroom and export trade) with F.T. and C.T. Maling (of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne pottery) as directors.
David Jones died in 1908, and in 1910 the company was taken over by J A Robinson & Sons Ltd. The name changed to Wardle Art Pottery. and the business moved to the Wolf Street Works in Stoke.
By 1917 the Washington Works were occupied by Swinnertons