Saturday 15 October 2011

Museum of Somerset now re open

The Museum of Somerset
has re opened after a major redevelopment.
It's in Taunton just behind the Castle Hotel.
I've been waiting 3 years for it to re open because it had a big collection
of Donyatt Pottery on Display.

 So you can imagine my disappointment
when the lady on reception told me it was all now in storage.
I explained I had come to see one particular plate
of the conjoined twins of Isle Brewers in 1680.
She gave me a number to ring to make an appointment to see it.
So I thought while I'm here I'll have a look around.

In the very last room I looked in
There it was on Display. 
I've been asked to make a copy of it
and I wanted to see it at first hand. 
it was smaller than I expected at about 12.5" wide.

by the time I got back to reception the lady was nowhere to be seen.
Mean while back at the workshop!
Wassail Cups and salt pigs waiting to be slipped.
I've just been told today that Barrington Court
won't be holding a wassail next year.
So maybe we will do some kind of event ourselves
on a freezing cold dark wet night in January.

and a trial run on a large bowl for the village church.
this measures 19" wide and was 14lbs of clay.
it needs to be 24" wide, so I'm going to try again with 16lbs of clay.

this shot gives you a perspective on the size
as the bowl in the background is 16" wide
made from 6.5lbs of clay.

3 comments:

Hannah said...

Nice plate there, look forward to seeing your version of it. Nice sgraffito.
Really like the big dishes, I am rubbish at big dishes but really really want to decorate some. I should hire you to come and throw me a bundle of them.

Anna M. Branner said...

Yes do that Hannah! Beautiful big dishes Paul.

potterboy said...

I wassailed my fruit trees this year, on twelfth night - hot cider from one of Dougs wassail things, putting toast in the bowes of the trees, dipped in the cider (the toast not the trees.)

Today I picked the best pears I've ever had. Well worth doing. Fortunately I have no neighbours, what with all the singing and stuff.

Ho hum - pots looking brilliant as ever - like the big dishes a lot - looking forward to seeing them slipped and fired.

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