Gray's Pottery Hand-Painted Fish Charger — Satin Glaze, Hanley 1932

There is a stillness to this piece — two fish drift through painted water in warm golds, terracotta and celadon, rendered with the fluid confidence of a skilled hand on a soft, silken ground. It is exactly the kind of understated, artful object that Gray's Pottery built its reputation on.

OBJECT DETAILS:

An ideal piece for collectors of British Art Deco studio ceramics, interior designers seeking a singular decorative accent with authentic period provenance, or film and TV prop buyers requiring 1930s English domestic set dressing.

A large circular charger hand-painted by A.E. Gray & Co. of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, pattern number A1017 (hand-inscribed). The decoration depicts two stylised fish swimming amidst aquatic plants, rendered in warm amber-gold and terracotta with celadon green accents on a pale cream ground, with turquoise bubble details. The surface carries a characteristic soft satin glaze — not the high-shine lustre of Gray's 1920s work, but a quieter, more refined finish that suits the naturalistic subject perfectly. The palette and painterly style are characteristic of Gray's work in the early 1930s.

• Object type: Charger / large decorative display plate
• Material: Earthenware with hand-painted decoration, soft satin glaze
• Style: British Art Deco, studio pottery
• Era: circa 1932–1933 (early A-series pattern; Hanley Clipper backstamp)
• Origin: Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England
• Maker: A.E. Gray & Co. Ltd (Gray's Pottery), pattern A1017
• Key features: Full hand-painted decoration, soft satin glaze finish, warm naturalistic fish and aquatic plant design, wide shallow form with gently curved rim

DIMENSIONS: H 7.5cm × diameter 25cm (H 3" × diameter 9.8")

CONDITION: In very good vintage condition, consistent with age and use. Satin glaze surface retains excellent colour and clarity. Minor wear to the unglazed foot rim, consistent with age. No chips, no cracks, no repairs, no restoration. Backstamp clear and complete with hand-inscribed pattern number A1017. Photographs form part of this description. Please review all images carefully as they document the piece's condition in full detail.

CURATOR'S NOTE: Selected for its rare combination of decorative confidence and quiet restraint — the fish design has the freshness of a watercolour sketch translated into ceramic. A piece that holds its own on a wall, a shelf, or a table, and speaks to anyone with an eye for the best of British interwar craft.