BENDIGO POTTERY
Remains Australia's longest working pottery, beginning operations back in 1858
DLAT Rating: 8/10 (Darling, Look At This!)
This rating is not based on the potters skill or the object (it is a mug after-all!) but the colouring is quite unique for Bendigo Pottery products. So many of their pieces are plain brown and this mug immediately caught our attention because it is more "earthy" visually, with the lovely green and brown - pity it wasn't drip-glazed but you can't have everything!
BENDIGO POTTERY - Coffee Mug
Made In Australia (Victoria of course)
Estimated circa 1970's ~ 1980's (this was about the time we were down in this area of Victoria, looking for artwork of all things!)
Ceramic
Medium sized, so many souvenir coffee mugs are silly sizes being way too big for 'normal' use - this mug is 'just right'
So what is a 'medium' coffee cup?
Stands 90mm high
Top opening is 65mm diameter
Mug body is 85mm diameter
Comfortable 'holding weight' at just under 400g (unloaded with coffee)
Design is all green inside, over the lip and down the first 1/3 of the mug. There is then a decorative pattern all around the cup and below this the colouring moves into a nice brown (yes, sometimes brown is nice). The brown is not a solid heavy colouring but in places almost looks like a drip glaze - very nice (to us!)
Bendigo Potteries have printed their logo onto the side of the mug, UNDER the glaze.
IMPRINT DETAILS:
(Intricate graphics within which are the words printed in a Dark Grey/Black...)
BENDIGO POTTERY
EST.
1858
AUSTRALIA
There are no potter's marks on the base (unglazed)
COSMETIC CONDITION:
This mug is very clean
NO discolouration
NO cracks
NO chips
Yes, there is some crazing (cracks to the outer glazing)
The crazing is difficult to see (more obvious when it has just had a wash, the 'wet test') and the crazing is ONLY affecting the lower brown coloured area of the mug - the green up above this is NOT affected.
The crazing has the form of widely spaced lines running vertically mostly - this makes it difficult to see.
My theory is that the heat from actually using the mug (yes, we did use the mug a few times - that is it's purpose in life) caused a breakdown in the glaze over the years. Interestingly though, the glaze (green) inside the mug does not appear to be affected.
Anyway, that is my appraisal of this very Australian coffee mug - not perfect but gee it's nice to look at (and you can still use it of course)
