‘Kestrel’ Coffee Set, earthenware with banded, painted, and sgraffito decoration. Decorated by Susie Cooper. Burslem, 1932. Coffee pot is 19.5-cm in height.
This “Kestrel"-shape Coffee Set, is designed by Susie Cooper, and decorated by painters at the Susie Cooper Pottery in Burslem, England. Blank shapes were purchased from Wood & Sons Ltd. and then painted in several colours to create modern and beautiful coffee sets like these.
‘Kestral” refers to the shape of the ceramic vessel and not to the applied decorative art. Kestral pieces appear in various colours and patterns but broadly share common shapes. This is particularly evident with coffee pots.
A ‘Red Tango’ pattern Kestrel-shaped coffee set for six shows these similarities, though the coffee cup is the exception and is conical in shape.
In 1931, ‘Susie Cooper Productions’ moved into Susie’s Crown Works in Burslem, England. At that time, Wood and Sons became the main supplier of blank earthenware pieces for the Susie Cooper, while she designed both the shapes and patterns for Woods. Her Art Deco ‘Kestrel’ shape was introduced about this time. With its sweeping shapes and curves showing strong Art Deco influences, especially in coffee pots and jugs, it is one of the best-known shapes in her catalogue. It was still in production until the mid-1960s.
Credit: The Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington London, the International Museum of Dinnerware Design, and Mutual Art.
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