University to loan rare ceramics to museum

Professor of ceramics, Neil Brownsword says Staffordshire potters were often influenced by oriental ceramics

A collection of nearly 300 items of pottery which has not been on display for more than 35 years is to be loaned to a museum as part of a planned £5m extension.

The Thornhill Collection was bequeathed in 1944 to North Staffordshire Technical College – now the University of Staffordshire – for study purposes by collector Ernest Thornhill.

The collection will go on display at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery (PMAG) in Hanley, with the aim of exhibiting it to the public for the first time since the 1980s.

It includes mostly Chinese wares, along with a small number of Korean and Japanese pieces.

Items range from the simple earthenware of the Shang dynasty (1700 -1028 BC) to richly painted porcelains of the Ming (1368 – 1644 AD) and Qing (1644 – 1912 AD) dynasties.

Bosses hope to display the ceramics in a dedicated exhibition space at the museum in Hanley, as part of an initial five-year loan.

"It was Thornhill's wish that the collection be used for educational purposes and partnering with the PMAG will allow us to do that by making it more accessible to both scholars and the public," said Professor Martin Jones, vice-chancellor of the university.

"The opportunities for cultural exchange and research collaboration will also strengthen Stoke-on-Trent's position as an international centre for ceramic excellence – supporting the world craft city agenda and Stoke-on-Trent's future ambitions to achieve UNESCO creative city status."

The collection has not been seen in full in public before

Ernest Thornhill was a pharmacist, living in Clapham, who was an avid collector of oriental ceramics.

His collection remained largely forgotten until it was rediscovered it in the 1970s.

Neil Brownsword, professor of ceramics at the university, said people often forgot that Staffordshire potters were influenced by oriental ceramics.

"The imitation of Chinese tea-drinking wares and porcelain during the 18th century spurred a wave of stylistic innovation and technological advancements that were to position North Staffordshire at the forefront of ceramic production globally," he said.

"The PMAG's existing collection of Staffordshire ceramics is world-renowned and it is a fitting new home for the Thornhill Collection.

"Highlighting this cultural influence through the Thornhill Collection offers potential to re-navigate Stoke-on-Trent's industrial and cultural history from new perspectives to draw new audiences into the city and museum."

A ceramic pillow is among the items in the Thornhill Collection

The collection has never been on display to the public in full before.

"It is something pretty special that the city should be very proud of," said Dr Tim Jenkins, a heritage and museums consultant working with Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

"It features a whole mix of different design techniques; Chinese wares, Korean wares, Japanese wares.

"From an educational perspective we've got a little bit of everything – from pre-history working its way up to the late medieval period and there are some pieces from the early 20th century."