Pair Of Small Moorcroft Macintyre Aurelian Vases, Late 19th Century

A fabulous pair of Art Nouveau blue and white bottle vases with transfer printed decoration in blue and six gold circles around the sides. William Moorcroft's first pieces at Macintyre were the Aurelian Ware transfer pieces, which later evolved into the Florian Ware designs of 1902. Both vases bear the Macintyre impressed mark and the registration number 314901. Aurelian wares were registered from 1898. Macintyre & Co, based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, was primarily known for the manufacture of industrial ceramics. To capitalise on the popular souvenir market, they moved into the production of crested ware. Around 1894 they opened an art pottery workshop, employing established designers who introduced earthenware with a raised slip and tubular designs. In 1897, Macintyre & Co. Ltd employed 26-year-old William Moorcroft as a designer. Within a year he was appointed to run the company's art pottery studio as chief designer. In a happy coincidence for Moorcroft, the principal designer, Harry Barnard, left Macintyre in 1897 to work for Wedgwood. The following year, Moorcroft took full control of the art pottery studio as chief designer. For many years, Moorcroft had sole control of this branch and was responsible for many of the unique artistic productions for which Macintyre & Co, Ltd became famous. Moorcroft created designs for Macintyre's Aurelian Ware range of Victorian pottery, characterised by transfer-printed and glazed decorations in bold red, blue and gold. He also developed the Art Nouveau-influenced Florian Ware range, which was entirely hand-decorated, the design being traced in slip using a technique known as tubelining. Moorcroft Faience was highly regarded in the trade. Moorcroft's designs won many medals at international fairs and were distributed by Liberty in London and Tiffany in New York. In 1913 Moorcroft left Macintyre & Co. to set up his own manufacturing business in Sandbach Road, Cobridge, Burslem. Part of the funding came from the famous London department store Liberty, which continued to exercise control over Moorcroft until 1962. Moorcroft's reputation was further enhanced by the appointment of the Moorcroft firm as Potters to Her Majesty The Queen in 1928. Moorcroft's work for Macintyre is among the most expensive of all Macintyre products. These are collectibles sought after by thousands of people. Item Dimensions: Height: 14 cm Diameter: 9 cm Condition: There are a few small chips on the bottom and a slight loss of gilding on the rim. Otherwise, the vases are in excellent condition. Please study the photographs accompanying the item carefully, as they are an integral part of this description. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance.