The Carlton Ware factory was founded around 1890 by James Frederick Wiltshaw, James Alcock Robinson and William Herbert Robinson in Stoke-on-Trent, a famous English pottery region. The company was originally called Wiltshaw and Robinson, with the Carlton Ware trade mark appearing in 1894.

Around 1890 the company introduced its Blush Ware range, featuring floral designs on soft pastel backgrounds, sometimes with gilding.

In 1911 the Wiltshaw & Robinson partnership was dissolved, and James Frederick Wiltshaw became the sole owner of the factory, bringing his son Cuthbert into the firm. Cuthbert joined the service during the First World War and became famous as a pilot. Cuthbert’s return from the war in 1918 was marred by tragedy when James Frederick Wiltshaw died in a railway accident shortly after his arrival. Cuthbert took over the company and succeeded in establishing Carlton Ware’s reputation for excellence for the next fifty years.

In the 1920s the company became famous for its Art Deco lustre glazes, which are highly prized today. Many of the designs from this period feature geometric and stylised floral patterns, with some using Egyptian and Oriental motifs, the Tutakamun and Mikado ranges being particularly popular.

Towards the end of the 1920s the range expanded to include more modestly priced tableware, with Carlton becoming the first manufacturer to offer ‘oven to table’ tableware in 1929.

Jewel decoration is a technique whereby small, colourful and often metallic beads or ‘jewels’ are applied to the surface of ceramic objects to create intricate designs. The technique has been used throughout history in many different cultures, but was particularly popular at the turn of the 20th century.

I find the work of Violet Elmer particularly interesting during the 1930s, creating vibrant Art Deco designs that ranged from stylised to completely abstract.

In the late 1930s, Carlton Ware introduced a new range of dinnerware featuring raised floral designs such as foxglove and anemone. This range remained in continuous production until the 1960s, although later designs were gradually simplified to reduce the high cost of hand painting.

Some Carlton Ware pieces bear the ‘Registered Australian Design’ mark, although they were made in England. This was used from 1935 to 1961. The fact is that by the mid-1930s, many counterfeits of Carlton Ware products had appeared, made in Japan. The prices for the counterfeits were significantly lower than the originals. Cuthbert Wiltshaw discovered a clause in international legal documents that applied to Australia and Japan, according to which industrial designs registered in Australia could not be copied by the Japanese. He took advantage of this situation and registered a large number of designs with the Australians.

After World War II, the production of art ceramics was resumed using new equipment, new designs and glazes. The color schemes of the Royale series were standardized: Bleu, Rouge, Verte and Noire (blue, red, green and black) and new designs were added, which were made by hand, including Spider Web, New Mikado and New Stork. The same motif was made in different color schemes. For example, here is what the Mephistopheles motif looks like in the Bleu color variant.

Cuthbert Wiltshaw died in 1966 and the following year the factory was sold to Arthur Wood and Son and continued to operate under the management of Anthony Wood. In the early 1970s, new designers Roger Michell and Danka Napiorkowska joined the company. They created the Walking Ware range, which immediately gained popularity and kept the company afloat in the 1970s. By the end of the 1980s, the company could not withstand the competition, fell into decline and was sold. Since 1987, it has changed owners several times. But the respected brand has survived to this day. In addition to regular tableware, the company produces small batches of artistic ceramics based on old designs, mainly for collectors.