Great Yarmouth Potteries Limited Edition Tankards

Great Yarmouth Potteries
Limited Edition Tankards

Here is a range of Limited Edition Tankards, the master moulds of which were all designed and hand carved by Ernie over the years between 1982 and 2017 at Great Yarmouth Potteries.

A Limited Edition Tankard - Start To Finish.

Starting with a photograph, a drawing, a sketch or an idea, a pencil drawing is made and an imprint is taken on a flat piece of clay. This is worked by hand, carving until a rough cast can be taken in hard plaster.

The next stage is drilling and hand carving to produce the master mould.

The plaster master moulds are filled to the brim with slip and left to settle.

After about an hour the moulds are upturned and the slip that is still liquid is poured out, leaving a coating of clay all over the inner surface of the moulds.

After a further hour the casting is released from the mould, and handles, other ornaments and pieces of trim are fitted and fettled.

Fettling is the process that removes all rough edges and raised seams using a very sharp knife and wet sponge.

After handling through twenty to thirty individual processes, and firing a minimum of three separate times, the end product is a completely uniquely identifiable item which belongs to a Limited Edition batch of Tankards.

They are all principally the same, but, because they are individually hand made, they are individually identifiable from each other.

When all the numbers of the Limited Edition have been made, the master moulds are destroyed to preserve the integrity of the Edition.

More Limited Edition Tankards and prices will be added soon.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Karen by phone or email. Contact details at the foot of the page.