More UK
Collection 1 > UK
New Devon; Holkham; Dendan
- New Devon Pottery: Was a pottery manufacturer, Newton Abbott, Devon. The New Devon Pottery was founded by M.E. and P.H. Carter and made souvenirs, gift items, kitchenware and other luxury pottery. The brand has featured a beaver since 1957. The piggy banks are distinguished by the remarkable money slot and are all 11.5 cm long.
- The Holkham Pottery (Holkham Hall, Wells-next-the Sea in Norfork) was founded in 1951 by Elisabeth, Countess of Leicester, wife of the 5th Earl of Holkham and produced pottery until September 2007. The piggy banks are 11 cm tall.
- Dendan Ware: Dendan Pottery does not appear in the *Encyclopedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks* (Godden, Geoffrey A.; London: Jenkins, 1964), nor in the standard reference work ThePotteries.org. Dendan Ware was presumably an English mid-century ceramics or novelty line, likely active around 1950–1965. The highly mass-produced nature of the shown pig piggy banks and the use of fine white earthenware possibly point to the Potteries in North Staffordshire. It remains unclear whether Dendan was the name of an independent manufacturer or a trademark/private label under which an existing factory produced novelty ware. No factory address or company name has been found today.
Just this...
- We, the people in the mainland of Europe, often say "England", if we mean the United Kingdom, which includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Strangely the English are of the opinion that they invented porcelain and fine earthenware, but nothing could be further from the truth. It started in China, spread to Southern Europe (was shipped via Mallorca, hence majolica) then arrived in Delft and from Delft craftsmen moved to England to lay the foundation for the porcelain and fine earthenware industry. Folk art pottery had of course been made there for centuries, just like everywhere else.
- Many different and nice pig piggy banks used to be made in the United Kingdom. Now that the factories no longer exist, it becomes difficult to determine the origin. Archives have hardly been preserved and if they exist, they are not about piggy banks. So I have to look for other angles to get information. And sometimes chance helps a little. Like an old advertisement I found from Weetman Giftware, of which I show 3 piggy banks.
Purchasing UK piggy banks
- For a long time my collection contained more English piggy banks than Dutch ones. The range in the United Kingdom is/was larger than ours. Which is probably partly due to the preservation culture (heritage) of the English. They attach more importance to their heritage than we do in our country. Piggy banks are also a part of culture: “saving piggy banks is is saving our (and your) heritage”. My motto for a reason.
- Although not as renowned as Staffordshire, Surrey played a role in the ceramics industry. Wales, too, had several pottery centers, including Swansea, Cardiff, Wrexham, and Llanelli; these regions produced pottery of various styles and qualities. Bristol was also a significant center for pottery production, particularly during the 18th century, with companies such as Bristol Pottery and Bristol Delftware active in the area. While Liverpool is best known for its port, it was also a hub for pottery production, home to companies such as Liverpool Porcelain and Liverpool Creamware.
- Since the Brexit, the UK is no longer that attractive to me as a collection point for piggy banks. Purchasing via eBay.co.uk has always been easy, but now you pay both VAT and customs duties on your purchase. Moreover, the postal rates are (too) high. Fortunately, since January 2024, I have found a postal address in Scotland, which gave me the opportunity to start purchasing again. "Thanks guys".
Wedgwood
Although Wedgwood doesn't make piggy banks, I can't ignore it.
- The best pottery (china and bone china) has come (not only the English claim this) from the English Midlands for more than two hundred years, with the world-famous Wedgwood brand as 'standard bearer'. Despite the English penchant for traditions, Wedgwood moved eighty percent of its production to the Far East between 1995 and 2006, partly for cost reasons (energy and labor costs). Fortunately, Wedgwood's top products are produced exclusively in the (new) factory in Barlastan, so they are still truly 'made in England'. The other pottery factories in the Midlands are long defunct, the buildings still remain in ruins (after all, heritage) or have been demolished.
- Wedgwood Group is the market leader when it comes to luxury tableware. In the late 1980s the company merged with the Irish crystal manufacturer Waterford. Waterford-Wedgwood also includes well-known brands such as the German Rosenthal. With the takeover of Royal Doulton in 2005, known for its Royal Albert brand, among other things, the company incorporated its last major English competitor. The main remaining competitors are now Germany's Villeroy & Boch and Japan's Nouritake.
- In January 2009, the Wedgwood Group filed for suspension of payments. In March, the Private Equity Fund KBS Capital Partners (USA) bought the company. They hold and reorganized the company for six years. In 2015, the Wedgwood became part of the globally operating Finnish Fiskars, which also owns Royal Copenhagen (famous Danish pottery).
From left to right: Length 11 cm. Purchased in England in 2009 through a fellow collector. 2nd: Purchased in 2009 in Lowestoft (Suffolk) with a "Souvenir of London" transfer. 3rd: Length 12 cm. Purchased at a barn fair in Bourn (Cambridgeshire) for £6. 4th: Purchased in England in 2012 through a fellow collector.
