Tremar

Designer	Roger Birkitt
Maker	Tremar UK
Marks	Stamped “Tremar UK” into side of base.
Description	Lidded ramekin, straight sided bowl with flared lip and flat base.  Hollow handle fitted at an upward angle, with hole in outer end.  Swirl decoration to inside of bowl and lid created during throwing.  Lid has impressed design on outside edge and small rolled clay handle to centre of lid.  Matte glaze to interior with unglazed rim and exterior base.  Interior of lid has matte glaze with small patch of matte glaze around lid handle.
Number
Production Date	Late 1970s
Width	140mm
Depth	55mm  (with lid 80mm)
Length (with handle)	190mm
Weight	465gm
Volume	500ml
Acquisition	Salvo Stores
Rameking Reference Number	TRE 001 TRE 002 TRE 003

Named after the Eastern Cornish villages of Tremar, (Tremar, Tremar Coombe, Tremar Upper and Tremar Lower) the pottery was started in 1962 by Roger Birkitt, then later his wife Doreen worked there.  For the geographically challenged, Cornwall is the pointy bit stuck on the bottom left hand corner of England and the Tremars are in the middle near the eastern border.  For the cunning linguists, Tremar is Cornish for Mark's Farm.  Originally hand-thrown for the tourist market, Tremar earthenware paid homage to Cornwall's Celtic past.  Cornwall is one of the Celtic nations trying to reclaim their history and ancient language.    Tremar was an early example of good quality naïve style retro pottery that was marketed to collectors wanting complete sets.  Now collected like the much better known Cornish pottery "Troika".

Expanding in the 1970s, to mostly moulded wares, Tremar produced distinctive decorative wares of “tourist collectibles” such as figurines, including various animals and cars.   Eventually they had three potteries in Tremar and the neighbouring town of Liskeard, and sold all over the U.K, & U.S.A, and probably Australia because that is where I got these ramekins.  The Birkitts ended their association in 1980 and the pottery closed after going into administration in 1983 after their kiln exploded and rebuilding costs proved prohibitive.  Graham Alcock of Shelf Pottery in Yorkshire later acquired some of the Tremar moulds and produced similar wares for a short time, so look at the marks.  I am surprised Tremar closed because unused pottery kilns were not exactly in short supply in the UK back then.  You could say they went out with a bang.

Earthenware is a moderately porous pottery body that is fired to a temperature somewhat below that required to produce a vitreous article.  Ceramic vessels are fired to temperatures of 700-1200° centigrade. It is generally opaque, porous, course ceramic and made from potash, sand, feldspar and clay.  It is one of the oldest materials used in pottery. 

Classically, most earthenware has a red coloring, due to the use of iron rich clays.  However, this is not always the case, and for the modern potter, white and in the case of Tremar, buff colored earthenware clays were commercially available.  It can be as thin as bone china and other porcelains, though it is not translucent and is more easily chipped.  Earthernware is also less strong, less tough, and more porous than stoneware, but its low cost and easier working compensate for these deficiencies. Due to its higher porosity, earthenware must usually be completely glazed in order to be watertight, this isn’t.

There is a quote about Tremar that I think is appropriate; "If you had to design pottery perfect for Bilbo Baggins and Hobbits I think this would be it!  There is a certain ancient charm about it.  Tremar pottery is so earthy, rustic and charming-but not without a high level of craftsmanship.  The pieces are beautifully and confidently hand-thrown and so lovely to the touch-very smooth, very matt glazes and with a great use of pattern, colour, form and decoration."