Lowerdown Pottery Lidded Preserve Pot with ‘Foxglove’ Motif

This is a classic example of a lidded preserve pot produced at the Lowerdown Pottery in Bovey Tracey, Devon, which was founded in 1956 by David Leach.

The pot has a galleried rim, which narrows at the neck before flaring out to form the body. It is glazed internally and externally with a pale grey glaze speckled with brown. This brown also forms a patchy band around the rim. On one side is the iconic ‘foxglove’ motif in brown and blue, which was a common theme on Lowerdown Pottery production wares.

The lid is discoid, slightly domed and has a central cylindrical knop. It is also glazed in a speckled grey with a concentration of brown at the knop. There is a small notch out of the rim for a spoon handle to rest in. The underside of the lid rim and the interior of the galleried neck are unglazed, which prevents the lid from sliding around too much.

The base of the pot has a bevelled edge and is impressed with a square containing a capital letter ‘L’ and a vertical cross. This is the standard mark used on pieces produced at Lowerdown Pottery. Although many people attribute these items to David Leach, my understanding is that pieces produced by him tended to have his personal seal as well as this mark, as he knew his monogram would gain more money.

It has a maximum height (including the lid) of 8.1cm, with a diameter across the rim of about 9.0cm and across the base of about 8.2cm.

It has an unwrapped weight of 260g.

It is in good condition, with some minor nicks to the edge of the base (see picture) commensurate with age and use. There is also some minor crazing to the glaze. This wear is reflected in the price.