Moorcroft Pottery Courting Birds Plaque

Many of us, at some point, have been amused by the extravagant courtship rituals of exotic birds. Whilst their ridiculous dances and neon plumes can put a smile on the unhappiest of faces, there is also something very touching about their innate, natural urge to pair up. Emma admits that her inspiration for Courting Birds stems from an interest in Rozenburg Pottery, famous for delicate eggshell porcelain, much of it decorated in exotic flora and fauna, particularly birds. Other previous designs from Emma such as Hartring were also heavily influenced by the famous Dutch Art Pottery, but this new design sees the emergence of other elements of Emma’s artistic mind. These include screen-printing, woodblock carving and Japanese art and graphics in which a limited colour palette is traditionally used. Courting Birds has been depicted with unusual clarity and colour. Dense black bodies on dove-grey clay are interspersed with red crown feathers and an array of dainty flower-heads. Emma is always happy to shed further light on to her designs. She writes, “I was also focusing on the advantages of using tube-lining rather than paint, (as a Moorcroft painter at heart, this was unusual for me). Line-work is mostly used as a way of holding metallic oxides in certain areas, whereas Courting Birds has areas of tube-lining that become the decoration in their own right. I have even used black tube-lining as a further highlight. Just as in printmaking, every mark made really does matter, and every mark is necessary to form the complete image.”

Available for delivery in the following locations:

United Kingdom (England, Wales, Mainland Scotland, Scottish Islands, Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly)