Llanelly Pottery Cockerel plate with sponge decoration

Reference: 5052

Dated: c. 1900 Llanelli South Wales

A good example of a spongeware Llanelly pottery cockerel plate decorated by "Auntie Sal" Sarah Jane Roberts. It is generally thought that Auntie Sal painted most of the cockerel plates.

EXHIBITION...........IF THESE POTS COULD TALK.

My wife and I ran an antique shop in the West Wales coastal town of Aberystwyth for over 25 years. One of our specialisations was naturally antique Welsh pottery and a particular favorite of mine was the hand decorated work from the Llanelly Pottery in South Wales.
There were two iconic wares from this pottery the "Shufflebottom Cabbage Roses designs" and the "Auntie Sal Cockerels".
The cockerel plates were all painted by Sarah Jane Roberts affectionately named Auntie Sal, it has been recalled that she was left handed. Her free flowing style of painting so bold and colourful is a testament to outsider art on ceramics from Wales. A Welsh Dresser or Delft rack full of these plates is a sight to behold. These pots remind me of the great times we had in Aberystwyth and the Swansea Pottery and South Wales pottery collectors who use to visit on a regular basis. Sometimes such antique pieces evoke memories much more vividly than a photograph or video could ever do.
The working class girl Sarah Jane from Myrtle Row in Llanelly died in 1935 after working 40 years at the pottery.She was known as a very kind soul and could be seen walking home from the pottery holding children on each hand, she never married. How she would be amazed to know that her work is cherished in many collections today and that she has left an everlasting legacy with her hand painted cockerels.

Diameter: 9.75inch

Medium: Welsh spongeware pottery

Current Condition Unrestored

Provenance: Private Collection

Literature: Gareth Hughes and Robert Pugh Book titled Llanelly Pottery.

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