Crown Lynn / Ambrico ceramics by British designer, Ernest Shufflebotham

The Crown Lynn story is part of the New Zealand's heritage. Operating during the period 1948 - 1989, the factory produced domestic ware commonly used in most New Zealand homes in the 1950s.

The story began in the 1860s, at Hobsonville where a farmer, R. O. Clark, encountering drainage problems, made his own clay drainage pipes. Demand was such that he went into business as a manufacturer of bricks and tiles and began a family business which was to have a lasting impact on New Zealand households.

In 1931 Thomas Clark, the great grandson of the original owner joined the more... firm. He realised the opportunities and expanded into domestic ware, opening a porcelain Specials Department in 1937. During World War II  the Specials Department was declared an essential industry and moved into making vitrified mugs and cereal bowls for the American Forces in the Pacific. Until 1947 half the production from the specials department was exported to Australia. The Specials Department became a separate company in 1948, and was called Crown Lynn. Important designers employed by the company included Dave Jenkin, Mirek Smizek, Frank Carpay, Daniel Steenstra, Ernest Shufflebottom, Dorothy Thorpe.

By 1959 Crown Lynn Potteries had produced its 100 millionth article, and at their peak in the 1960's Crown Lynn employed 650 people in their Auckland potteries, manufactured around 17 million pieces of dinnerware annually in over 82 patterns and exported half of their production.

Crown Lynn became Ceramco in 1974 and diversified into a series of new interests, including electronics, appliance wholesaling and making acquisitions including Bendon lingerie. The Crown Lynn pottery factory closed in 1989, unable to compete with foreign competitors. Sir Thomas Clark died in 2005. less...

Ernest Shufflebotham (1908 - 1984) was a British ceramic artist who later became a prominent figure in the New Zealand pottery scene. He is known for his unique approach to ceramics, which combined traditional techniques with modern design.

Shufflebotham was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, which was known for its pottery industry. He was trained by Keith Murray, a New Zealand-born ceramic designer, while at Wedgwood in England and later worked in various pottery studios in England and Europe, honing his craft.

In 1948 Shufflebotham was brought to New Zealand by Crown Lynn along with a number of other more... designers including Frank Carpay to produce more upmarket works that would expand the market for Crown Lynn ceramics. He was one of the few professional "throwers" working in New Zealand during the period from his arrival in 1948 to his departure in 1957. The matt white finish of his work was made possible by Crown Lynn"s 1948 development of a formula based on Matauri sourced clay, which consistently burned white.

Shufflebotham's work was heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, as well as the traditional English pottery techniques that he had learned in his youth. His pieces were often wheel-thrown, and he used a variety of glazes and surface treatments to create unique textures and designs. He was known for his simple, elegant forms and his attention to detail, and his work is highly prized by collectors in New Zealand and around the world.

In addition to his work as a potter and teacher, Shufflebotham was also an active member of the New Zealand Society of Potters and helped to establish many of the country's ceramics organizations and institutions. He was a founding member of the New Zealand Society of Potters and played a key role in establishing pottery as a respected art form in New Zealand. Shufflebotham taught pottery at the Elam School of Art in Auckland during the 1950s and 1960s. He also taught at the Wellington Technical College and the Otago School of Art.

He passed away in 1994 at the age of 86. less...