Portmeirion pottery evolved from gift shop designs for the Portmeirion holiday village in north Wales to a global business thanks to the design flair of Susan Williams-Ellis. She captured the sprit of the kitchens and dining rooms of the 1960's and 70's, with bold new shapes, and designs that could be both modern and traditional. 'Botanic Garden', introduced in 1972, used old flower prints with contemporary shapes and high quality manufacture, and has remained in production for 40 years. In the 21st century the company moves vigorously forwards with a new generation of designers and a...

The Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction to the brutality of working life and the sterility of industrial design in Victorian Britain. Although Arts and Crafts were initially a mediaeval revival, the movement was always about the artist craftsman and the appropriate use of materials, rather than any single design tradition. The movement was inspired and led by William Morris, whose company was founded in 1861 and produced a full range of interior furnishings, including tiles. These were designed by Morris himself, and also by leading artists and architects of the day such as Edward Burne...

William De Morgan was the principal ceramic designer and maker in the Arts and Crafts movement. Heavily influenced by the art of the Middle East, he was active for nearly 30 years from the 1870s onwards. He is famous for his vases and decorative chargers, but it is arguably his tiles - still to be found in homes and museums around Britain and the world - that have made the greatest impact. His tiles portray iconic images of animals, ships and floral designs. He combined a strong design style with rich glaze colours, making blue and green, and a deep orangey red visual trademarks. There were...

This is the first book devoted to Ruskin Pottery, one of the most important potteries of the Arts and Crafts movement.