The business was founded by his grandfather John Bates in 1883. All the best English makers were carried in stock, including Doulton, Wedgwood and Royal Worcester and the company was such an important customer that many of the items were stamped during manufacture with the Bates name as retailer.
At the New Zealand International Exhibition of Art and Industry in Christchurch with in 1906, John Bates & Co treated visitors to a magnificent display of ceramics from Royal Doulton, as well as managing the Doulton entries in the British Government’s Arts and Crafts section of the exhibition.
Geoffrey Bell was a key advisor to the 1992-3 Courier Post Royal Doulton Ceramics Exhibition, and eight of the major pieces he lent to that exhibition are included in this auction.
Probably the most spectacular piece of Royal Doulton in the sale is the large earthenware jardinière (Lot 44 ) with an early flambé glaze, decorated with a Viking ship in full sail. This jardinière was probably designed for Doulton by Bernard Moore, who was engaged as a consultant in 1902 to work with Cuthbert Bailey and Charles Noke.
Estimated at NZ$15,000, and the highest priced item in the sale, a similarly decorated but smaller jardinière was sold by Bonhams in London in September 2009 for £6,960 inc. BP.
The Bonham's catalogue notes that the piece probably pre-dates the range of similar designed pieces that Moore produced under his own name in the 1920's. Moore worked in Stoke for several years with Cuthbert Bailey developing ideas for flambé wares and it was probably this friendship that led to Moore producing this experimental design for Doulton Burslem.
A striking Lactolian lidded goblet decorated with stylised tulips and two handles with ends modelled as palmate leaves (Lot 65 ) was modelled by Charles Noke, Doulton’s art director, with gilding by Robert Allen. Lactolian was a particular type of pâte-sur-pâte decoration on a parian-type body and was both time-consuming and expensive to make. It was only produced for a few years.
The above two items formed part of the display in the New Zealand exhibition of Art and Industry in Christchurch 1906, as were the squat blue crystalline Royal Doulton blue pot (Lot 51 ), the Royal Doulton Chang chalice form vase (Lot 55 ), the impressive large Royal Doulton glazed vase with a scene titled 'The Monastery Door' and signed by the artist H. Tittensor. (Lot 67 ), the slender baluster shaped Hyperion Doulton Burslem vase with hand painted decoration of tulips (Lot 66 ) and the Royal Doulton yellow vase reminiscent of Imperial Chinese porcelain with a wooden fretted cover (Lot 49 ).
Amongst the 20 lots of silver is an exceptional German cylindrical parcel-gilt silver cup and cover, Augsburg Circa 1665, the body chased with busts of three Roman Emperors in cameos surrounded by chased fruit.
Art to be offered includes works by Russell Clark, Dame Eileen Mayo, Ida Carey, Toss Woollaston and Sydney Lough Thompson.