Early Slipware Jug by Sidney Tustin

This earthenware jug was made by Sidney Tustin at Winchcombe Pottery, Gloucestershire,
and is a typical piece of domestic ware - useful rather than beautiful (although I personally
find this a particularly beautiful and unique work).

This is unlike any piece I have seen Tustin produce before
and has all the hallmarks of an inexperienced hand -
the maker has had a struggle to control the slip while applying it;
the painted lines are not steady;
edges are not clean, and some of the glaze has run or smudged;
the slip patterns are uneven;
the spout is not quite symmetric;
in some places the glaze has not taken so therefore the rough bare clay can be felt;
even the Winchcombe mark has been mashed so as to make it almost unrecognisable.

Tustin began his life as a potter at Winchcombe Pottery at the age of 13 in 1927
where he turned the wheel for Elijah Comfort. It was when he was 15 that Michael Cardew
invested in an electric wheel for Comfort allowing the young Tustin to start
throwing his own pieces. And I think that this is one of those first pots.

His personal mark, stamped right on the edge of the base, is quite clear.

Condition: Amazingly for a pot made in the late 1920's, this is in excellent condition -
with no scratches, cracks, or chips.
Dimensions: 5.5 inches high/14cm high
Widest diameter (excluding handle): 5 inches/128mm.

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