Mabel Lucie Attwell

A small selection of Mabel Lucie Attwell items coming up for sale on Tuesday the 6th of July 2010 
(from a single owner collection of over 20 items - all to be sold by auction)
 
         
        (Back left) "The Curate" Est £120-£180                                         (Back) Food warmer Est £100-£150
         (Centre back) "The Golfer" Est £120-£180                                     (Front left) Baby's Plate Est £70-£100
         (Back right) "The Bridegroom" Est £120-£180                                (Front right) Baby's Plate Est £70-£100
         (Front images) "Boo Boo" tea service Est £200-£300
   
 
The most famous freelance artist who worked for the Shelley factory after the war was Mabel Lucie Attwell, although most of her designs were producted pre-war. It is known that after the war "The Mushroom Village" and "The Little Mermaid" were produced, but examples of these pieces are rare. The more well known pieces are the little elves and the statuettes with 'elephantine' legs. A range of nursery china was also produced, consisting of teacups, saucers, tea plates, fruit and oatmeal bowls, egg cups, mugs, handled beakers and baby plates. In 1949, during a Royal visit to Stoke on Trent, Princess Elizabeth was presented with a set of Mable Lucie Attwell nursery china for Prince Charles.
 
The quantity of ware produced is unknown, but towards the mid fifties Mabel Lucie Attwell designs were losing their appeal and ony small numbers of china and statuettes were being produced. The only statuettes definately produced were "The Golfer", "The Gardener's Boy", "Our Pets" and "I's Shy". The costs of producing the lithos were increasing and in 1956 Shelleys contacted Mrs Earnshaw's agents (this was Mabel Lucie Attwell's married name) to ask if another company could be approached to share the costs of litho production. Simpsons of Cobridge were the company who agreed to this proposal. The agreement reached was that Shelleys would continue to produce the litho on china and simpsons would produce it on earthenware. This seemed to satisfy both companies and Shelleys did not experience any decrease in sales, as Simpsons produced a cheaper product using the same lithos.