William Moorcroft (1872–1945), the founder of the celebrated British art-pottery company that shares his last name, was both an aesthete and a technical innovator. Along with William de Morgan, he is regarded as one of the greatest ceramists of the Arts and Crafts movement, yet Moorcroft’s singular style is heavily inflected with the lush naturalism of the Art Nouveau school of art and design.
The son of a decorative pottery painter, Moorcroft was born in Staffordshire, the center of English ceramics-making, studied at the Wedgwood Institute and in 1897 joined the local pottery manufacturer James Macintyre & Co. as a designer. After a year, he was put in charge of the company’s art-pottery studio, and there he developed a new style of wares named “Florian,” made with a technique called tube-lining, or slip-trailing. In this method, decorative motifs are outlined with a thin, raised border produced by piping a thread of clay onto the body of a vessel — much like squeezing toothpaste from a tube.
Moorcroft, who took the unusual step of signing his ceramics, would go on to win numerous international awards. In 1913, backed by the London department store Liberty & Co., he left Macintyre to open his own workshop. Queen Mary, wife of King George V, gave Moorcroft her Royal Warrant in 1928. Shortly before he died in 1945, his son, Walter Moorcroft (1917–2002), took over as head of the firm. The pottery company is still in business in Staffordshire, with a design department headed by Rachel Bishop.
William Moorcroft’s ceramics are noted for their colorful, ebullient (and often slightly surreal) decorations depicting stylized natural forms — flowers, toadstools, fruit (pomegranate is a favorite among collectors), insects and landscapes. Most Moorcroft wares are finished with a glossy overglaze. Blue-and-white and pastel shades were generally used as underglazes on early Moorcroft pieces, and he later developed a rich, ruddy background glaze he called “flambé.”
Moorcroft art pottery has a rich, warm and inviting look — a comforting aesthetic that explains their enduring appeal.
Find antique and vintage William Moorcroft pottery, vases, serveware and more on 1stDibs.
Moorcroft Pottery English Arts and Crafts Floral Pottery Lamp
By William Moorcroft, Moorcroft Pottery
Located in New Windsor, NY
Beautifully hand decorated and colorful Moorcroft Pottery table lamp. Decorated with lilies, poppies and other flora. Moorcroft pottery, known for its vibrant, hand-painted designs, ...
Pottery
Arts & Crafts Lamp
By Arts and Crafts Company
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Arts and Crafts style table lamp, made of silver-plated bronze with fabric shade. England, CIRCA 1900.
Bronze
$1,250
H 14.5 in Dm 12 in
Arts & Crafts Period Heintz Metal Arts Designed Bronze Floral Boudoir Table Lamp
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in St. Louis, MO
Arts & Crafts period Heintz Art Metal Shop, Buffalo, NY (1906-1930), bronze boudoir table lamp with pierced floral metal shade. Bulbous base with floral overlay decoration, single so...
Bronze
Stained Glass with Filigree Overlay Arts and Crafts Table lamp
Located in Peekskill, NY
This is a nicely designed Arts and Crafts table lamp. It simple and clean with a tented shape and cast floral filigree panels. Each panel has two pieces of complimentary colored glas...
Stained Glass
$1,440Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 11.75 in W 5.25 in D 5.25 in
Pair Antique Moorcroft High Glaze Floral Pottery Vase (For Lamp Bases)
Located in Big Flats, NY
Pair Of Antique Moorcroft High Glaze Floral Pottery Vases With Factory Drilled Holes For Lamp Bases Signed C1920 Measures - 11 3/4" x 5 1/8" x 5 1/8" A pair of antique Moorcroft hi...
Pottery
Antique Awaji Pottery Double Dragon Arts and Crafts Green Lamp
By Awaji Pottery
Located in Wilton, CT
Antique Awaji pottery green dragon lamp, circa 1920's. With two dragons curling around the shoulder, their backs forming two "handles." Thick glaze pooling in recesses. 25" high over...
Pottery
A pair of Arts and Crafts brass table lamps or post lamps
Located in London, GB
A pair of Arts and Crafts brass table lamps or post lamps with hand formed scrollwork decoration and leaf decoration to the top.
Brass
Arts & Crafts Table Lamp
Located in London, GB
An Arts & Crafts table lamp, with two twisted copper stems, resting on a lignum vitae base. England, Circa 1910 With the shade: 45 cm high by 30.5 cm wide by 15.5 cm depth Lamp base ...
Copper
Japanese Matte Glaze Arts and Crafts Pottery Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Lovely matte glaze Arts and Crafts pottery lamp with Mount Fuji motif. The design is unique all the way around the lamp in colors of pale peach...
Pottery
Early Arts and Crafts Bronze Lamp Base by Handel
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early Arts and Crafts bronze lamp base by Handel, wonderful verde patina, Classic form. Retains raised Handel mark.
Bronze
$2,750
H 26.88 in Dm 6 in
Moorcroft Art Pottery 'Fuchsia' Footed Lamp with Lightolier Glass Reflector Bowl
By Lightolier, Moorcroft Pottery
Located in Cincinnati, OH
This striking English art pottery lamp was made by the renowned Moorcroft Pottery company of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Initially with James Macintyre & Co., innovative ceramist William Moorcroft founded his own firm in 1913. Underwritten by retailer Liberty London, the company went from strength to strength and was granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Mary in 1928, leading them to include the phrase ‘Potter To HM The Queen’ on their paper labels as well as in their impressed marks. William's son Walter joined the firm in 1935 and took over management and design responsibilities upon the death of his father in 1945. Moorcroft remains in business today with early pieces by William and Walter being particularly sought after. This Walter Moorcroft signed lamp has a traditional pear or bottle vase form which has been decorated in the 'Fuchsia' pattern. The body of the lamp has a variegated blue/blue-green background featuring Moorcroft's distinctive slip-trailing technique. The leaves and blossoms have been finished in bright jewel tones. The body of the lamp has been joined to a metal base having a milgrain edge and four scrolling feet. The top of the lamp has a simple metal cap topped by a decorative foliate band. The piece retains its original Lightolier reflector bowl, patented by Jacob Samuel Hamel in March of 1950. The reflector bowl has a frosted body which attaches to the lamp by Virtue of three screws. The lamp comes complete with a silk shade manufactured by Royal Knight...
Metal
Hand-painted Czechoslovakian Glass Arts & Crafts Lamp
Located in San Francisco, CA
A hand-crafted Czechoslovakian glass table lamp with a spherical base and cone-shaped shade. The shade has a hand-painted landscape in orange and blue with red and green foliage and...
Glass
c.1920s-30s Arts & Crafts Bronze and Rattan Table Lamp
Located in Skien, NO
Stunning c.1920/30s bronze table lamp featuring an Art Deco geometric lattice base and original hand-woven rattan shade. Rich bronze patina meets organic texture—perfect for Art Deco...
Bronze
Pair of Moorcroft English Art Pottery Lamps
By Moorcroft Pottery, William Moorcroft
Located in New Windsor, NY
Pair of Moorcroft English art pottery floral lamps. Excellent pair of Moorcroft pots decorated in a floral "sqeezebag or tubelined" technique, circ...
Ceramic, Pottery
Sold
H 11.42 in W 3.94 in D 3.94 in
Pair of Vintage Moorcroft Vase Lamps Fully Restored and Converted Lovely, Pair
By Moorcroft Pottery, William Moorcroft
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely pair of matching Moorcroft vase lamps fresh from full restoration A very good looking and well-made pair, they came to me as lamps h...
Porcelain
William Moorcroft Pottery Pomegranate Table Lamp
By William Moorcroft
Located in Montreal, QC
A stunning large William Moorcroft Pottery pomegranate baluster vase mounted as a table lamp, circa 1925. Decorated in a classic Moorcroft pattern, featuring five pomegranate fruits ...
Pottery