My favourite piece in The Harris collection can be found in The Harris Café, amongst many other fantastic ceramics and glass work, is Clarice Cliff’s ‘Tea for Two’ tea set painted with the Gibraltar seascape. (Produced around 1932-33). Now, one of Cliff’s rarer designs, this set is a classic example of the stunning work Cliff produced.

Clarice Cliff was an English, ceramic artist and designer, notable for her colourful and bold hand-painted Art Deco ceramics from teacups, saucers, teapots, vases and jugs. Growing in popularity in the 1920s – 1930s, Cliff has a very distinctive style, known for her hand-painted and geometric patterns, using bold, bright, enamel colours. A lot of Cliff’s work uses popular choices such as landscapes and botanical patterns, but using more abstract, cubist designs.

Cliff’s designs work within an Art Deco aesthetic, using a lot of angular, geometric shapes. This was not only reflected in the hand-painted designs but also used in the structure of the pottery themselves. We can see the Art Deco style in this tea set in the shape on the handles of the teacups, the angular quality of the milk jug, and most famously, the teapot more often referred to as the ‘Stamford’ teapot, a very recognisable and popular piece, used many times in Cliff’s tea sets.

Growing up, I knew about Clarice Cliff from teacups that my parents had in our house, not too dissimilar from the ones we have in The Harris collection, so I was immediately drawn to this set. I find Cliff’s designs quirky and joyful, perfect for admiring as you enjoy a cup of tea in The Harris Café!