Charles Noke
| Charles John Noke | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1858 Worcester |
| Died | 27 May 1941 |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Pottery Designer |
Charles John Noke (1858 Worcester - 27 May 1941), was an English pottery designer and artist who primarily worked for Royal Doulton.
He is noted for producing many different ranges of pottery using differing techniques and was also hugely influential in helping Doulton establish itself as a world leader. After he joined Doulton in 1889 he became the Art Director and was able to affect all aspects of production at the Burslem site and in doing so instigated a revolution in both design and production turning Doulton into the leading art manufacturer of the age.
Noke's greatest achievement was the creation of a range of experimental transmutation glazed wares that are at best as good as anything produced at Sèvres, Copenhagen, Dresden or even in the Far East. These ranges, the Flambes, Titanian, Sung, Chinese Jade, Chang and Crystalline represent one of the greatest contributions to studio pottery made by a large British manufacturer in this century.
He is also well known for launching the HN figurines (named after Harry Nixon who was in charge of the figure painting department). This naming convention for figurines still endures today.
Noke contributed significantly to the character studies and some of his designs, The Jester, The Potter and The Cobbler are among the most recognisable and enduring characters produced by Doulton. He was also known for his designs of other colourful 'Eastern' characters.
Noke joined Royal Worcester as an apprentice modeler in 1873, aged 16, whilst also attending the Worcester School of Design. Noke's work at Worcester caught the eye of Doulton's Art Director John Slater (whom Noke would later succeed) and after 16 years at Royal Worcester (1889) Noke joined Royal Doulton as Chief Designer working from the Nile Street site in Burslem.
Noke's early career at Doulton was spent modelling and decorating pieces to be displayed at exhibitions around the world, most notably the Chicago World Fair in 1893. It was Noke's ambition to rival the other major pottery manufacturers of the day and Doulton mounted an extensive display of large, ornate and highly decorated vases and plates. Noke is credited with reviving the fortunes of Figurines in the Potteries and in particular at Doulton where he was able to persuade Henry Doulton that he could design figures that would sell.
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