4795 - Spanish Tree

Tube-lining: Brown
Enamels: Scarlet, Harrisons orange & Colcloughs brown
Lustres: Silver
Glaze: Blown yellow matt
Frequency Ranking: 22/50
Design Date:1936
Production Period: 1936 - 1939
Pattern Name: Probably created by Bumpus referring to ”Spanish motif” text from the Pottery Gazette review for pattern 4795.

Spanish Tree was a popular design of period 2. Apart from a few chargers with the AGR8, simple MADE IN ENGLAND backstamp, all other examples seen have the AGR2 backstamp. A rarity is to find the pattern on a pedestal dish shape that only became popular for tube-lined designs after Charlotte had left Richardsons. Up until then this shape seems to have been reserved for print and line decorated tableware patterns but the shape is recorded in the pattern book at the same time as Spanish Tree. The pattern book shows the shape with the same glaze as blown new yellow matt but with simple silver edging, so its use may have been a bit of an experiment to try tube-lined designs on a new shape.

The design lends itself to a fair amount of variation in the complexity of the tree and number of leaves depending on the size of the item. The chargers especially exhibit some notably different styles particularly the presence or absence of the hills and ground level detail. This foreground/background component only seems to have been done on some chargers and the “modern” style dish mentioned above. Spanish Tree is the only design seen on the rare shapes 216 and 219 and is therefore an interesting pattern to collect if one is keen not only in design variation but the opportunity to find interesting shapes. Also of note is the rare variation, pattern 4825 which is the same design but the edge line work, the "ground level" bands and leaves are in green enamel.
Charlotte Rhead Crown Ducal pattern 4795 Spanish Tree
Pattern 4795 Spanish Tree


References of the period:
Pottery Gazette and Glass Trades Review, September 1936 page 1205

There are also some very impressive vases, bowls and flower jugs, boldly and colourfully treated by the tube-lining process after the Spanish motif. Miss Charlotte Rhead, we are informed, has been responsible for some of these creations; and they are certainly very distinctive. The Nos. 4794 and 4795 are cases in point. In connection with some of the pieces a mottled, vellumed glaze in a colour of old gold is employed.