Lockdown and Lucia Ware

Lockdown and the lack of freedom to explore beyond the garden gate, left me exploring online.  Exploring online is not as exciting as rummaging through second hand shops and discovering long forgotten treasures at a bargain price.

Finding an interesting item online, lacks the charm of talking to the seller and perhaps negotiating a different price for the item. It also lacks the tactile experience of touching it and imagining where it will look best in one’s house.

I like most South African studio pottery, but never really explored the earlier commercial studios like Globe Potteries and the Boksburg East Potteries. Boksburg East Potteries produced Lucia Ware. Lucia Ware, produced predominantly in the 1950’s, included a selection of pots, figurines, plates and tiles in bright and strong colours.

I am sure almost everybody at the time must have had a piece of brightly coloured Lucia Ware in their homes. As I was exploring the online world of vintage pottery, I came across an Instagram post with four white jugs. I was quite surprised to discover that it was Lucia Ware. When I hear Lucia Ware, I see bright yellow, blue, green, red and pink fish, shells, dogs, fawns and so on. 

Somehow these four classic white jugs caught my eye and I liked them. I decided to buy them and after contacting the seller, I paid the asking price. Because we were under Level 5 lockdown, I had to wait until courier services could operate again before I could receive delivery.

Not knowing when the restrictions would be lifted, I waited patiently for my four jugs. Fortunately, the universe worked in my favour. Just days before my birthday, the restrictions were eased and I could receive my parcel with the four white jugs.

I found little information about Lucia Ware during my information search, but there are several serious collectors out there. In the SA Garden and Home magazine, July 2017 issue, there is a short history of Lucia Ware, but no research source reference that I could consult. 

The short history of Lucia Ware reads as follows, “Established in 1946, South African Glazing Company specialised in the making of wall tiles and ceramic electrical insulators. In 1950, in order to fill extra kiln space, a subsidiary, Boksburg East Potteries, started producing a range of fancy goods. These included Lucia Ware, Joy China and Bepware. Early works were hand-painted, sometimes hand-thrown and often quite refined. These labour-intensive and costly designs were soon replaced by slip-cast wares, which were loosely decorated and often garishly glazed. For almost two decades, Bepware and Lucia Ware produced medium-priced items such as ashtrays, aquarium ornaments, aviary goods, bookends, vases, faux Delft and souvenir and commemorative items. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, 10% of their merchandise was exported to the rest of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Production ceased sometime in the 1960s.”

Lucia Ware has a retro charm, but I might rest with my four white jugs as the sole representatives of Lucia Ware in my ceramics collection.