Susan Parkinson "Happy Couple" Dish

A characterful dish designed & illustrated by Susan Parkinson at her pottery in Brabourne Lees, Kent, circa 1955.

Although Susan Parkinson is best known for her stylised figures of animals, her artistic skills did not end with sculpting; she was a distinctive & proficient illustrator. Her fantastic drawings, some of which feature in the 2004 publication 'Susan Parkinson and the Richard Parkinson Pottery', show her unique & expressive style translated in two dimensions.

The few plates and dishes produced at Parkinson Pottery often feature Susan's wonderful illustrations of animals, medieval figures or astrological signs, all sketched in her striking & stylised manner.

The way in which Parkinson illustrated humans was particularly distinctive. Her renditions of people are elongated, with large necks, small heads and squashed facial features. The playful proportions of her sketched human characters lends them a peculiar appearance, comparable to extra-terrestrials.

This decorative dish features a hand-drawn illustration of two humans, probably a newly married couple. Created using the wax-resist method, Parkinson's monochrome drawing is abstract & expressive. The female character has long curly hair, a cat-like nose and an extremely long & slender neck. The male character, depicted on a black background, has a classic 1950's slicked hairstyle and a face full of freckles. His proportions are equally exaggerated, with a small face and incredibly low shoulders. The couple are smiling happily, and both share wonderfully dimpled chins. The details of the sketch indicate a formal occasion; the male is wearing a jacket & tie whilst the female appears to be wearing a fancy pearl necklace. We think this item was originally intended as a wedding gift. 

The modern "eye" shape of this unconventional dish is both practical and distinctly 1950's in style; it perfectly reflects the aesthetics of Postwar British design, sparked by the incredibly influential 1951 Festival of Britain.