Retro Decanter and Four Goblets by Iden Pottery

This is a highly unusual ceramic decanter with matching goblets by Iden Pottery. Iden Pottery was established in 1959 by Dennis Townsend and takes its name from the village near Rye where it first began. In 1966 it moved to Rye and was so successful during this period that the export business flourished and the pottery was sold through high profile outlets, such as Harrods. During the 1990s large quantities of goods were exported via the Oxney Green Company, run by Dennis Townsend’s son, David, in Stoke-on-Trent. Goods were exported to the USA and Japan. Production continued until 2002, when Dennis and his wife Maureen retired. The decanter has a hollow stone-coloured mushroom shaped stopper and a rounded body. There is a ‘step’ where the waisted neck joins the shoulder of the decanter. This upper part is glazed in a glossy white, speckled with grey and brown. Below the step there is a broad band stippled with rust coloured glaze. The remainder of the body is decorated with this same colour in matt and stippled with black. The base has an unglazed rim, revealing the underlying ceramic body to be off-white in colour. The centre is glazed with a glossy pale yellow, which can also be seen in places around the edge of the base. The centre is marked in cobalt blue with the Iden Pottery logo. Each goblet is decorated similarly to the decanter, and each is marked on the base with the same blue logo. The decanter has a height without the stopper of approximately 26.0cm. It has a height including the stopper of about 30.1cm. Each goblet has a height of approximately 17.2cm, with a diameter at the rim of about 6.7cm and across the base of about 7.8cm. They are in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks.