The story of Hinchcliffe and Barber
When the 1980s brought an explosion of interest in rural lifestyles, one distinctive brand of tableware stood out in the country kitchen: Hinchcliffe and Barber.
But John Hinchcliffe and Wendy Barber were already well known long before their work was splashed over Country Living and Homes and Gardens magazines - John as a designer and weaver of international renown and Wendy as a weaver and painter.
But John Hinchcliffe and Wendy Barber were already well known long before their work was splashed over Country Living and Homes and Gardens magazines - John as a designer and weaver of international renown and Wendy as a weaver and painter.
In partnership as Hinchcliffe and Barber they rejected the Leach tradition of Studio ceramics in favour of traditional European functional ware.
After John exhibited sponged and stencilled platters with Janice Tchalenco at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1982, he and Wendy developed the same techniques with majolica-glazed earthenware.
Their mainly blue and white designs including White Flower, Hypericum and Italian Tulip were all boldly stencilled on their distinctive platters.
The work was so popular that they were soon unable to keep up with demand and brought in Poole Pottery to make biscuitware they could decorate in their studio at Sixpenny Handley. Blue Spongeware was soon joined by Blue Rim, and Blue and Splatter as the studio range grew.
Poole Pottery subsequently commissioned Hinchcliffe and Barber to design a POOLE BLUE range of Fish Platters and Blue Spongeware, and John trained their decorators in his techniques. The firm’s studio designs sold to galleries and design conscious shops like Heals in London and Co-Existence in Bath.
After John exhibited sponged and stencilled platters with Janice Tchalenco at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1982, he and Wendy developed the same techniques with majolica-glazed earthenware.
Their mainly blue and white designs including White Flower, Hypericum and Italian Tulip were all boldly stencilled on their distinctive platters.
The work was so popular that they were soon unable to keep up with demand and brought in Poole Pottery to make biscuitware they could decorate in their studio at Sixpenny Handley. Blue Spongeware was soon joined by Blue Rim, and Blue and Splatter as the studio range grew.
Poole Pottery subsequently commissioned Hinchcliffe and Barber to design a POOLE BLUE range of Fish Platters and Blue Spongeware, and John trained their decorators in his techniques. The firm’s studio designs sold to galleries and design conscious shops like Heals in London and Co-Existence in Bath.
They were soon spotted by George Davis and his team at the Chelsea Craft Fair and before long the fast growing Next chain was selling White Flower, Italian Tulip, Blue Rim and Spongeware on new tableware shapes designed by Hinchcliffe and Barber.
The Next collaboration is a good example of Hinchcliffe and Barber’s philosophy: the studio develops new designs and supplies hand made pieces in limited quantity to galleries, shops and private customers. If the studioware is well received, it may then become production ware for the larger High Street market.
Hinchcliffe and Barber styled and marketed their product from the start and benefited from generous publicity in the lifestyle magazines.Their ceramics sold across the world - from Isitan in Tokyo, Barneys, Lord and Taylor and Macys in New York, to David Jones in Australia, Printemps in France and Harvey Nichols, Harrods and the General Trading Company in London.
The John Lewis partnership stocked several designs in most stores.
Part two
The Next collaboration is a good example of Hinchcliffe and Barber’s philosophy: the studio develops new designs and supplies hand made pieces in limited quantity to galleries, shops and private customers. If the studioware is well received, it may then become production ware for the larger High Street market.
Hinchcliffe and Barber styled and marketed their product from the start and benefited from generous publicity in the lifestyle magazines.Their ceramics sold across the world - from Isitan in Tokyo, Barneys, Lord and Taylor and Macys in New York, to David Jones in Australia, Printemps in France and Harvey Nichols, Harrods and the General Trading Company in London.
The John Lewis partnership stocked several designs in most stores.
Part two