"FANTASTICAL creations" that saved the fortunes of the Wedgwood factory 100 years ago are being sold at auction in Salisbury by a direct descendant of the family.

The Fairyland Lustre designs of Daisy Makeig-Jones were produced at Wedgwood from 1915, "providing a bright escapism for collectors from the horrors of the Great War", but also a much needed financial boost to the struggling factory.

Woolley and Wallis's Design specialist, Michael Jeffrey, said: "The popularity of these designs on the other side of the Atlantic proved a real turning point for the Wedgwood factory.

“They helped to crack the lucrative American market during the 1920s, which was increasingly important as Europe struggled to recover from the effects of the war.”

Included in the Design auction on October 7 are a large pair of vases and covers in a design titled ‘Ghostly Wood’, with a starting price of £10,000.

Inspired by the illustrations of Gustav Dore’s The Legend of Croquemitaine, the design includes a white rabbit scurrying for cover beneath goblins perched in a gnarled tree.

“This is one of Makeig-Jones’ best-loved designs,” explained Jeffery, “and there is a slightly smaller vase in the collection at the V&A. The decoration appealed to collectors who, like the designer, loved the fairies of Arthur Rackham, and it brought up to date the late Victorian gothic horror that Modernism was trying to sweep away.”

“Despite their relatively short-lived production, Makeig-Jones’ designs remain very popular with collectors today on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Jeffery. “There are some very desirable patterns included among the 14 lots coming up on October 7 and the family connection to both Josiah Wedgwood and Daisy is bound to raise interest.”

The collection is expected to make in the region of £25,000 when it comes under the hammer at Woolley and Wallis.

Further items from the collection were sold by the Salisbury auction house in October 2019, with a rare Malfrey Pot in an Oriental design fetching £3,750 including premium.

Salisbury Journal:

A tile bought in a Devon Pannier market for just £8 is expected to top four figures at the same auction.

The six-inch square tile was designed by William De Morgan in the late 19th century and features a long-tongued beast in blue and silver lustre.

It’s being sold as part of a large section of wares produced by the famed Victorian designer in Woolley and Wallis’s Arts and Crafts auction on October 6, where it’s expected to make upwards of £1,000.