Susan Parkinson Small Pepper & Salt

A porcelain cruet, designed by Susan Parkinson and created in her pottery in Brabourne Lees, Kent, circa 1955. 

In the early years of Richard & Susan Parkinson Pottery, the pair experimented with tableware alongside their production of ornamental animal figures. This endeavour was not a great success, mostly due to the affordability of tableware from large potteries in Staffordshire such as Midwinter, who were also producing forward-thinking Modernist designs. The Parkinson's methods of production were laborious & time-consuming, so their output commanded a high retail price which was not competitive in the Postwar market. 

This 'Small' salt & pepper set is the second of three slip-cast porcelain cruets designed by Susan Parkinson. This pair is a smaller and potentially more practical version of Susan's first cruets which were tall & slender. The duo's squat form is sleek & ergonomic, fitting perfectly in the hand. Their slightly organic shape reflects Britain's Modernist aesthetic of the mid-1950's. 

The cruet has been decorated in Susan Parkinson's typical monochromatic style using the wax-resist method, and features abstract depictions of Neoclassical columns. The salt is mostly white and features swirling finials & fine lines, whilst the pepper is mostly black, and has been painted with tapering vertical lines.