The Democratic Dish: Mintons Secessionist Ware

About

Mintons was a British ceramic company established in 1793. From c1901-1916 they produced a range of pottery called Secessionist Ware, designed by John W. Wadsworth under the art directorship of Léon Victor Solon. The stylised floral and foliage designs constitute a major British contribution to the international style of Art Nouveau. However, Solon and Wadsworth named the collection after the leading European Art Nouveau grouping of the time, the Vienna Secession, whose first international exhibition had been held in Vienna in 1898. The use of industrial manufacturing methods meant the Mintons Secessionist range was more accessible to the popular market than other smaller studio or hand-made pottery.

This exhibition of chargers, toilet ware, vases, pedestals, flower holders, candlesticks, jardinières, a cheese stand, plates and other utilitarian wares, alongside archival material from the Minton Archive, will demonstrate the innovative approach to colour that Léon Solon contributed to the Secessionist range, combined with John Wadsworth’s designs of often radical abstractions from plant forms. The exhibition will also examine Wadsworth's advocacy for the decorative arts, highlighting both Solon and Wadsworth’s contribution to British design between 1900-1915.