It took us a minute to realize that this was the wrong company. We went back and checked the reference again, and found another entry that took us to Arthur J. Wilkinson (Ltd.). This turned out to be the right company.

It was founded in 1885 in Burslem and we think it still is in business. Wilkinson is perhaps best known for the pieces they made which feature the designs of Clarice Cliff. It is said that initially Wilkinson provided 60 dozen pieces of unsalable pottery out of its stock to Cliff and a team of workers to decorate with geometric forms in vivid hues.

These pieces were called "Bizarre Ware" and they were first shown at the British Industries Fair in 1928. These pieces were described as being "a source of much amusement and derision," but thanks to the marking skills of Wilkinson's managing director, "Bizarre Ware" was a big success.

The Wilkinson pieces belonging to S. G. are in the "Iris" pattern and are decorated in a much more traditional manner than the somewhat later Cliff items. In fact, the designs on "Iris" pieces are transfer printed and in the Art Nouveau manner, while the Clarice Cliff pieces are hand painted and in the Art Deco style.

On first glance at these two pieces, the first instinct is to say that they are "flow blue," but research suggests they are not. The term "flow blue," incidentally, refers to ceramics decorated with cobalt blue pigment that has run and left a sort of light blue haze on the white background.

This sort of ware was extensively made in England starting in the second quarter of the 19th century and in the United States and elsewhere later. Wilkinson made several "flow blue" patterns including "Jenny Lind," "Arcadia" and "Yeddo," and there is a flow blue "Iris" pattern
... read the whole article