Discovering the story behind Linn Ware

Before buying a work of art, pottery or furniture I prefer to read up on the artist. The reason why I never did this for Linn Ware was because I never intended to start a collection.

I enjoy the stories connected with objects and places, sometimes more than the object itself. After my latest purchase of Linn Ware, I realised that I know very little about the group of women potters who created all these beautiful items that can still be found in small collections in antique shops in the Cape. Gauteng is a different matter altogether. In Gauteng, one can still encounter collections of bigger pieces for sale.

At Riaan Bolt’s stall at the latest South African Antique Dealers’ Association (SAADA) Expo held in the V and A Waterfront, Cape Town, it came as no surprise that much of his collection of Linn Ware that he brought from Gauteng was sold within minutes. For once, I was relieved that we went early and I had time to choose the pieces that I wanted before it turned into a ‘feeding frenzy’.

A brief history of Linn Ware 1942 to 1954

The Olifantsfontein kilns Photo: http://www.artefacts.co.za/

The high quality of clay found at Olifantsfontein, prompted Sir Thomas Cullinan to start a company that would produce fine china. He had built a special "potters' village" and factory where he employed trained potters from Stoke-on-Trent. The first pottery was called ‘Transvaal Potteries’. The pottery closed in May 1914. This was succeeded by the Ceramic Studio, which was founded in 1926 and became known as Linn Ware in 1942.

Audrey Frank, one of the artists working at the Ceramic Studio, remembers the potteries as follows; “There were sprawling workshops surrounding huge coal-fired bottle and tunnel kilns of the Consolidated Brick and Pottery factory. A private railway with one engine, for the use of the factory, ran to and from the railway station. There was a large clay pit where the clay for the bricks and tiles was quarried. The railway station was about 1 mile away and the road to it was a sandy track, often ankle deep in sand. The dwellings at Olifantsfontein were single storied, low-roofed semi-detached cottages in a long row about a quarter of a mile from “The Works”. There was one little primary school and tennis court, and one small so-called “hall” wedged between “The Green Gate” and another cottage. One general dealer’s store supplied our groceries. There was a large compound for the African labourers who worked at the factory. Around us stretched open veldt with gum tree plantations in the distance.”

The Ceramic Studio was faced with closure during World War II, due to the loss of staff to the war effort and the unavailability of imported clays and glazes. Many of the Linn Ware glazes were developed locally because of the unavailability of imported glazes. After the Ceramic Studio closed, all the British potters were sent home and the workshops, kilns and special cottages were abandoned.

There are different theories as to precisely when the Linn Ware studios closed. But according to Artefacts, the online resource pages; “Patrick Cullinan, the last manager of the works states that the pottery studio closed in early 1954.”

Linn Ware markings

On our Linn Ware pieces we have found different markings.

The transitional mark from Ceramic Studios to Linn Ware seemed to be the ‘hut’ or ‘bowl’ stamped on the underside of each piece.

Then the words Linn Ware written underneath each piece, seems to date from after the Conrand Company bought the studio in 1943 and continued as the practice until as late as 1949.

The LW stamp that appears under each piece seems to be a later marking.

Artists who worked at the Linn Ware studio

Joan Foster Methley and Thelma Newlands-Currie were two artists that worked for both the Ceramic Studio and Linn Ware.

In “The Women of Olifantsfontein - South African studio ceramics” by Melanie Hillebrand, compiled for an exhibition held in the South African National Gallery in Cape Town in 1991, I found the following information about them.

Joan Methley  photo: The Women of Olifantsfontein

Joan Foster Methley (1898 – 1975) worked at the two studios from 1926 to 1952. She trained at the Durban School of Art (1916-1918) and the Royal College of Art, London (1919-1921). She was a co-founder of the Ceramic Studio and manager of Linn Ware. 

Thelma Newlands-Currie Photo:The Women of Olifantsfontein

Thelma Newlands-Curry (1903-1990) worked at the two studios from 1928 to 1935 and part-time from 1935 to 1952. She trained at the Durban School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London as well and was employed by the studios as designer/decorator.

Painting by Thelma Newlands-Currie of the Olifantsfontein kilns Photo: http://www.artefacts.co.za/

Joan Methley had this to say about their vision for the studio, “It is to be hoped that pottery as it develops in this country will reflect the personality of South Africa and not be merely a soulless imitation of that which originates in other countries”. (Methley, J . The development of Pottery Making in South Africa, The Common Room Magazine, Somer 1926, p.24.) 

Frank Agliotti was a skilled Italian potter who worked at the Ceramic Studio from 1926 to 1931. He took over throwing from Gladys Short, the other founder member of the Ceramic Studio. He later left the studio to start his own business. Joseph Agliotti, who was trained by his father, took over as thrower from 1940 to 1952.

The following anecdote of Frank Agliotti was recorded in "The women of Olifantsfontein": “The staff included an old Italian thrower who was short but strong and able to throw whatever was required. He could throw huge Aladdin style garden pots which had to be built up in stages. As the pot grew Agliotti had to stand on throwing “bats” of wood to gain height and his arms were stretched to the armpits to reach into and pull up the sides of the pot. Visitors came out from Pretoria and Johannesburg to see and buy pots. On one occasion Princess Alice of Athlone paid a visit. Having demonstrated his skill, Agliotti persuaded her to try her hand at throwing, which of course, he controlled with his own strong fingers, and she was given her effort. “Nice, these high up people!”was his comment.”

In Heymans's thesis there is also mention of four unknown Italian prisoners-of-war who were potters at the Ceramic Studio.

South Africa has a proud history of creative people. If one looks at the number of public buildings that were decorated with tiles and sculptures made by the Ceramic Studio, the question arises as to how many of these works of art have been lost or survive or were simply recorded.

I believe that the potters of Olifantsfontein and their works deserve more research and recording. I for one have learnt a lot from my limited reading of the history of Linn Ware and would like to know more. What I have read provides me with a new appreciation for these works of art.


Adding Linn Ware to the Towerwater library (Read more about the latest publication on Linn Ware)

Sources:

http://www.artefacts.co.za/

The women of Olifantsfontein-South African studio ceramics by Melanie Hillebrand, 1991

Pottebakkerswerk in Suid-Afrika met spesifieke verwysing na die werk wat vanaf 1925 to 1952 by Olifansfontein gedoen is by Johanna Adriana Heymans, Master Thesis 1989 

Rescuing Linn Ware

I think we are compulsive collectors. Towerwater has a variety of collections ranging from tables to chairs to teapots and more. We collect things because of their beauty and the pleasure they bring to our lives. 

Detail of a Linn Ware bowl

When I reflected on the concept of what makes a collection, I discovered that there is no minimum number of items for a collection. In theory, it is possible to have a collection containing only one item! Within that description, Towerwater is just one big collection.

The eminent Victorian, William Morris said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Well, we try to stick to that dictum at Towerwater.

We never intended to collect Linn Ware, South African pottery made by a group of women in Olifantsfontein, near the city of Pretoria, between 1942 and 1954.

Linn Ware bowl with rose

Detail of Linn Ware rose

Linn Ware is best known for the beautiful green and blue hues of their glazes. But, in fact, Linn Ware was manufactured in many different colours. When we randomly came across Linn Ware in second-hand shops from time to time, we would buy them to spare them the insult of being in the company of lesser ceramics.

I felt so embarrassed for them where they often would be standing amongst odd pieces of bric-à-brac; marked at prices that were not appropriate for royalty of the 20^th Century South African pottery world. We rescued bowls for R8 each at one time and never paid more than R28 a piece, until now.

Other pieces were given to us by friends as gifts, but we never regarded it as a collection that needed to grow. We never searched for Linn Ware. When Keith had to move to Pretoria, we were astounded by the amount of good quality Linn Ware that was available in Gauteng Province.

The latest addition to 'not the Linn Ware Collection'

When I saw a pure white Linn Ware bowl, I was in love. It was different and beautiful but unfortunately sold by the time we made enquiry. So I had a new mission, find a white Linn Ware bowl.

I like plain classic designs that add something timeless to a room. When I saw two near-identical light-coloured Linn Ware bowls at an antique expo at the Cape Town Waterfront, I did not think twice about buying them. On their unwrapping at Towerwater and putting all the various pieces together on the dining-room table, we realised that we had a fair collection of Linn Ware.

Have I crossed a collector’s line with my latest Linn Ware purchase? Am I destined to search second hand and antique shops, and markets for more and more pieces to add to the ‘collection’? Only time will tell. 

A konfoor by any other name

Since time immemorial, every Cape ‘opstal’ (farmstead) had a coffee ‘konfoor’ in the ‘voorkamer’ (parlour). A ‘konfoor’ is a small round table brazier that was used to keep a pot of coffee warm. It was usually made with red or yellow copper or brass. The word ‘konfoor’ is used to describe the coffee pot on the brazier as a complete item.

The F J Staal 'konfoor' and mug

Naturally it was one of the first items we re-introduced for a side-table in the ‘voorkamer’. When researching the history of the property I also looked at the inventories of the Orphan Chamber, Cape Town Archives Repository.

The scene in the 'voorkamer'

The inventories give one a good idea of the layout of houses and properties in the 1700-1800’s. The inventories would identify and give the positions of the various rooms of a house as well as those of the different outbuildings.

The unmarked 'konfoor'

Decorative detail on the unmarked 'konfoor'

Examining the inventories of farms in the area of our home Towerwater aan de Breede, I found the following descriptions recorded in Dutch:

• MOOC8/21.2 - Inventory of Elsje Botha on 15 November 1794 - ‘Op de plaats de Sanddrif - In t voorhuis - een kopere theekeetel en confoir’
• MOOC8/63.18a – Inventory of Beatrix Steyn and Jacobus Frederik Steyn on 30 July 1817 – ‘Een leeningsplaats genaamd de Zanddrift geleegen aan de Breede Rivier - een komphoor’
• MOOC8/27.30 – Inventory of Petronella Maria le Roux en Philip Lodewijk Schalkwijk on 9 November 1808 – ‘Een leenings plaats gen:d Potjes Kraal gel: aan de Breede Rivier – In t voothuis – een aarde komfoor’
• MOOC8/49.17a – Inventory of Matthijs de Jager en Maria Elizabeth Steyn on 22 March 1782 – ‘een opstal staande op de leeningsplaats gen:t de Paarde Cloof gelegen aan de Breede Rivier - 1 cop: comfoir’

The various inventories show us that the ‘konfoor’ was an essential part of the Cape house and was traditionally found in the ‘voorkamer’ where guests would have been received.

The ‘konfoor’ was recorded in the inventories with several different spellings. It seems that the vernacular tongue of the person recording the inventory influenced how items were recorded. Some of the spellings, with the year indicated in brackets, that I sourced were konfoort (1720), konfoor (1723), konfoir (1818), komfoor (1717), komfoort (1720), komfoir (1787) , confoor (1713),confoort (1715), comfoortje (1779), comfoort (1790), conphoor (1799), konphoor (1808), comfoir (1761) and confoir (1784).

Stamp on the F J Staal 'konfoor'

The F J Staal 'konfoor'

Decorative detail on the F J Staal 'konfoor'

My research has found that in nearly every inventory there is mention of a ‘konfoor’ and that the years in which it is recorded seem unrelated to the changes in the spelling. The different spellings of ‘konfoor,’ seem to be random. The chief influence appears to be the person recording the inventory at that moment.

F J Staal 1857-1934 (Photo: The Cape Copper-Smith by Marius le Roux)

There were several copper-smiths active in the Cape over this period and right up to the early 20^th Century. Perhaps the best known copper-smith operating in Robertson, a town in the area established in the 1850’s, was Frederik Johannes Staal. He had learnt the trade from his father and in turn, had trained Thomas Christopher Falck who was his apprentice.

The 'konfoor' and mug from left to right: lid, mug, urn, bag, konfoor and brazier

According to the book The Cape Copper-Smith by Marius le Roux published in 1981, Frederik Johannes Staal was born in Montagu in May 1857 and died in Robertson in 1934.  After his death some of his tools were bought by his apprentice T. C. Falck.

The coffee bag with its brass handle

The coffee bag with its brass handle inside the urn with the lid off

F. J. Staal manufactured coffee-pots, coffee-urns, konfore, drinking mugs, water kettles and so on. No technical problem was too big for him. He was commissioned to do the difficult job of sheathing the roof of the local church steeple in copper plates. Undaunted by what seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle he set off to Cape Town to recruit a sailor who had many years’ experience of working high-up in the rigging of the tall masted sailing ships. Between them they found a way to hoist the plates to the top of the steeple where the sailor made short work of fixing them down.

The brazier part of the 'konfoor'

When we were presented with the opportunity of acquiring a F.J. Staal ‘konfoor’ and mug we hesitated. One of the last things we were planning on buying was a second ‘konfoor’. But finding the ‘konfoor’ complete with its brazier and flannel coffee bag with brass handle intact, we realised that it was an opportunity that might not come our way again soon.

With our preference of acquiring antiques that were indisputably made in the area, we did however have a long term desire to replace the unstamped ‘konfoor’ in the ‘voorkamer’ with a F. J. Staal ‘konfoor’. Now the ‘voorkamer’ is graced with a ‘konfoor’ and mug made by the best known copper-smith of the region and our F. J. Staal collection is complete, well I think so.

Sources:
The Cape Copper-Smith by Marius le Roux published by the Stellenbosch museum in 1981
Inventories of the Orphan Chamber Cape Town Archives Repository, South Africa

Still-life with pumpkins and pesto

As the heat of February hurries the plants into seeding, I decided to harvest the abundant basil in the herb garden and make some pesto. It was a way to use a healthy picking of this versatile herb and have it handy for spreading on bruschetta, using in stews, dips and mashed potatoes and in pastas.

Basil is known as the king of herbs. It has reportedly been cultivated in India for over 5000 years.  Today, it conjures up images and flavours of Italian cooking. From a delicious Caprese salad made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and green basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil and resembling the colours of the Italian flag, to a pine-nut rich pesto with parmesan cheese.

On a hot summers day I filled the cool kitchen with the fresh fragrances of basil, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan cheese. For me, basil is the aroma of Mediterranean cooking and pesto is the culmination of all the earthiest flavours that one can find in the region.

Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, basil and olive oil

Picking basil, I noticed that the big white pumpkins were now even bigger and that their big green leaves were no longer shading them. I then realised that it is time to harvest the first three ‘boerpampoen’ pumpkins and let them season for a few weeks before storing.

The pumpkins will add their own deliciousness to autumn and winter meals, either in a pumpkin and lamb stew, or simply glazed with honey and cinnamon. For now, I just love their beautiful big white pumpkin shapes.

On a hot summer’s day, the kitchen at Towerwater was a visual feast spiced with pumpkin and pesto. If I had the luxury of time, I would take out my brushes and canvas and paint a still-life of pumpkins and pesto; regretting that one cannot capture the fragrance of a scene on canvas.

Grounded in gardening

High summer at Towerwater is the period when the garden is in full production and my creativity needs to be in overdrive. What makes it even more intense, is that we generally only spend weekends and holidays on the property. That is when I have to use as many vegetables as possible to make full use of the fresh fare.

A Friday evening a walk through the garden gives one an idea of what is available and in what quantities. By Saturday morning I have a fair idea of how to incorporate the available vegetables and fruit into the weekend’s meals.

We all know how therapeutic gardening is, but harvesting one’s own vegetables is a most satisfying experience. If I have to summarise the experience of growing one’s own vegetables, I will have to describe it in its different phases.

It starts with the planning of the garden. Where beds become canvases and your paint brushes are your gardening tools; your paint the packets of multi-coloured vegetables and herbs. The fun part of planting your own garden is that it is your canvas and as the artist, you have free reign over your creation.

The gardener has a very strict mentor. This is in the form of Mother Nature. One has to create within certain basic parameters like the season, soil quality, wind, rain and sun. If one obeys the basic rules, the possibilities become endless.

Excitement, is the first emotion that you experience when you choose the seeds that you want to plant for the season. Suspense, is what you experience waiting for the seedlings to sprout and then Joy, when the first two leaves appear above the soil. Agony, when half of them get eaten by the snails. Relief, if enough seedlings survive to be planted in orderly rows when they are bigger. Pride, follows on seeing them transform into lush healthy plants and Patience, when waiting for the first blossoms to appear. More exciting, is seeing the first fruit appear and finally Satisfaction, on picking your own healthy vegetables.

The splendour of your garden becomes a still-life arrangement on your kitchen table. Eventually it ends up as a delicious dish as a part of your meal or even as the complete meal.

For me, gardening is a way to stay real, humble and grounded; no pun
intended. To understand where the food on your plate comes from can be quite humbling. To think of the tiny seeds that you planted ending as a bowl of brinjals, beans or beetroot on your table, is just incredible. One can only be amazed by Mother Nature.

If you ponder all the emotion that goes into gardening and the rewards that are derived from planting seeds, you cannot get more real than that.

Grenadilla liqueur

In my efforts to reduce the stock of ripe grenadillas filling every bowl in the kitchen, I started looking for recipes that use more than just four grenadillas at a time.

When I came across a recipe for grenadilla liqueur in my book, “Make your own liqueur” by Jean Dickson and published in 1991, calling for 20 grenadillas or more, I decided that this is definitely the kind of recipe I need.

The grenadilla liqueur is a bright yellow colour and has a very refreshing grenadilla flavour that is perfect over ice-cream, or as a mix for a fruity summer cocktail.
Recipe
20 Grenadillas
750 ml Vodka
2 cups Cane Sugar
2 Cups water 

Scoop out the grenadilla pulp and mix with the vodka in a sealable glass container. Keep at room temperature in a dark place for a month. Shake the mixture daily. After a month, make a simple syrup by dissolving the cane sugar in the water over a moderate heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Let it cool down completely. Mix the cold syrup into the grenadilla mixture. Filter the liqueur into bottles through a double folded muslin cloth. Leave for at least a month before serving.
 

Serve as a summer liqueur over crushed ice, or use in a cocktail.