Jill Pryke Pottery Large Blue and White Ceramic Lantern or Candleholder with Original Sticker

This is a lovely example of an unusual pierced lantern or candleholder produced by Jill Pryke Pottery in Ditchling, East Sussex, and probably dating to the 1980s.

The lantern has a round opening at the apex, which has a thickened collar as it meets the body. The ‘shoulder’ is rounded and incised with five lenticular panels, which gives a floral motif when viewed from above. Between adjacent holes are larger, longer holes, which extend down to the base. These have an arched top and a rounded base. The thickened base houses an internal galleried rim to hold a candle.

The interior is glazed in white, and the exterior in a pale blue shade. The red earthenware body shows through in areas where the glaze is thin.

The base is unglazed and incised at the edge with the initials ‘JP’. In addition, the original white paper label remains, which reads ‘JILL PRYKE POTTERY 8 HIGH STREET DITCHLING EAST SUSSEX BN6 8TA TEL: HASSOCKS (07918) 5248’. The old ‘07918’ area code was replaced by the mid-1990s.

The lantern has a maximum height of approximately 21.9cm and a diameter across the base of about 8.2cm. The galleried rim for the candle has a maximum diameter of 5.5cm. It can easily hold a tealight but would also accommodate a pillar candle(see pictures; tealight not included).

It has an unwrapped weight of 590g.

It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks.