Ernest Shufflebotham
Ernest Shufflebotham (17 September 1908 – 6 May 1984) was born in England. He was a ceramic potter and designer active from the 1930s - 1950s.
History
He was trained by Keith Murray, a New Zealand-born ceramic designer, while at Wedgwood in England. He developed into a master thrower and was a key interpreter of Murray's innovative domesticware. In 1948 Shufflebotham was brought to New Zealand by Crown Lynn along with a number of other designers including Frank Carpay to work in the company's 'Specials Department'. He was employed to produce more upmarket works that would expand the market for Crown Lynn ceramics. He was one of the few professional 'throwers' working in New Zealand during the period from his arrival in 1948 to his departure in 1957.
He continued the 'machined' style used by Murray and would 'throw' the clay on a pottery wheel to create the vase. His assistant would then 'turn' it on a lathe to produce the indentations. The matt white finish of his work was made possible by Crown Lynn's 1948 development of a formula based on Matauri sourced clay, which consistently burned white. These works were essentially a theme and variation on those he had thrown at Wedgewood and instituted the exchange of a distinctive modernist iconography particular to Britain and New Zealand.
His work has continued to influence New Zealand potters - in particular the potter John Parker.[1]
Mistaken Spelling of Family Name
Ernest Shufflebotham had been mistakenly known in New Zealand as Ernest Shufflebottom. The name was misspelt in Crown Lynn publications from when he first arrived in New Zealand in 1948. (See 'Potters Pie' 1948). The spelling of his name was corrected when his son Peter Shufflebotham contacted a New Zealand Pottery and Collectables forum www.collectiques.co.nz/forum/ in 2008 and the error was noted. A copy of Peter's birth certificate can be found on the NZ Pottery & Collectables forum to substantiate spelling. A signed Coronation Mug (No 1 in the series of 1000) was then sent to an Auckland auction house (Art+Object) and offered for sale.
List of works
References
- ↑ McCall, Claire (26 January 2011). "Crown jewels". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
- Lloyd Jenkins, D. (2004) At Home: a Century of New Zealand Design. Auckland: Random House.
- New Zealand Pottery and Collectables Forum