Royal Worcester

Designer
Maker	Royal Worcester
Marks	Stamped in gold to base – Royal Worcester Fireproof Made in England inside circle.  Shape 32 size 1 stamped under circle Number 1 impressed above circle
Material	Soft paste porcelain, 22ct gold
Description	Gilded bowl with white gloss glazed interior unglazed slightly indented base dimpled inwards from footring
Condition	Good, some wear to gilding
Number	Shape 32, size 1
Production Date	Late 1960s –early 1970s
Width at rim	110mm
Width at base	85mm
Depth	45mm
Length (with handle)	165mm
Weight	260gm
Volume	250mm
Acquisition	Tyabb Antiques 26 Apr 2012
Rameking Reference Number	RWO 001-005

Originally sold in some markets as a cocotte, (one or two handled French cooking dish) these Royal Worcester Lustre Gold ramekins are press-moulded soft paste porcelain with 22 Carat gold applied to the exterior of the bowl.  They also produced a ribbed bowl they called a ramekin, so it is reasonable that these ramekins were named something else.   Gilding, as it is known, on pottery is a complex and difficult method to learn and can be done using several differing methods.  Several tonnes of gold are still used each year to gild ceramics.  It can be sprayed, brushed, screen-printed, acid etched or mixed with resin. 

Early methods at Worcester involved mixing the gold with mercury or honey giving the body a bright rich honey gold colour when fired at a relatively low temperature.  Ancient gilding on the wood of Egyptian mummy cases is still as bright as original. 

The method most commonly used is to mix gold powder and borax (borosilicate or a bismuth based flux).  The resulting powder is brushed onto the pottery with a very fine brush (usually camel hair).  When the mixture dries, because it is mixed with water, it is fired during which the borax is burnt off and the gold melts into the body.  The pottery comes out brown and must be burnished (polished) with a stone, usually agate to bring out the gold colour.  These ramekins were produced in plain and crazed gold.  Size 1 appears to be plain, size 3 appears to be crazed.

Situated on the river Severn, Worcester is the capital city of Worcestershire in England’s West Midlands.  With a population of almost 100,000 people, it is about 50km south-west of Bermingham.   In other posts, I have spoken about the loss of potteries as a result of Government policy and the consequential increase in imports.  In the case of Royal Worcester, had it not been for the collapse of the glove making industry in Worcester, then it is likely that Royal Worcester would not have come into existence.  Concerned at the loss of work for glove makers because of cheap imports from France, a number of local businessmen decided to create a pottery.

And so it was that in 1751, fifteen of them parted with £4,500 (for the Americans, that is British pounds, a type of money used in and around England) and leased “Warmstry House”, and fitted out the old mansion, still around today as part of Worcester College; and the company “The Worcester Tonquin Manufactory” was born on the bank of the Severn river.  (Tonquin is a floral pattern still in use today)  Leaders of the pack back in Worcestershire were Dr John Wall, local surgeon and William Davis, Apothecary (chemist).  Like most gentlemen of the day, they had little practical pottery skills so they had to do what businesses today still do; they bought in the skills.  Poaching a couple of potters with porcelain making skills, (Podmore and Lyes) from other factories with the promise of extra money and profit shares.

They started small and slow, making soft-paste soapstone porcelain, but within a year they started upping production.  One point of difference was that their stuff didn’t crack when boiling water was poured into cups.  Chinese porcelain didn’t but other English makers did.  Worcester porcelain in some cases was heavier than the competition but their designs and quality were better.  Another point of difference were the patterns and blue under the glaze that made Worcester distinct.

In the mid 1750s, they started using transfer prints, so innovation began early.  (Again, for the Americans, they are a type of Decal.)   By 1764 they were producing more transfer prints than all their competitors combined.  Their quality soon attracted moneyed buyers with the Duke of Gloucester being one of the first ordering a dinner service.  Royal Worcester got the contract to provide crockery to the English Royal Family. Today, these products on display in the museum on the site of the old Royal Worcester factory are worth huge amounts.  Because it is so collectible, it is often subject to forgery.  One test of genuine Worcester porcelain is to hold it up to a strong light.  You should see translucence with a slightly greenish tinge.

Dr John retired in 1774 but died in 1776 and without his leadership, things at the works began to go south.  The small factory was in need of repair and refurbishment.  Fortunately, in 1783 their London agent Thomas Flight paid £3,000 (to remind the Americans, that’s English money) for the company and set about improving it and turning it into one of Europe’s leading porcelain manufacturers.   The Flight family ran Worcester for the next fifty years.

After visiting the works, and being impressed with the standard of their output, King George III gave Worcester a Royal Warrant in 1789, entitling Worcester to become Royal Worcester.  Other Royal Warrants followed, the Prince of Wales in 1807, Princess of Wales in 1808 and by Queen Elizabeth II.  Martin Barr joined the firm as a partner in 1792.  Thomas Flight died in 1800, leaving the factory to his son Joseph Flight and Martin Barr.  Barr’s sons Martin Barr Jr. and George Barr had been trained to run the factory.

We know so much about Royal Worcester because in the 1850s, the then Managing Director and Art Director Richard William Binns, with an eye to posterity began an archive.  He was passionate about the history of porcelain and in the 1850s he started to collect not only ceramics, but also documentary evidence relating to the manufacture of porcelain in Worcester. He preserved a wide range of records relating to the factories, employees, general business and production methods as well as photographs, drawings and prints illustrating the finished products. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, he continued and expanded a detailed system for recording the thousands of porcelain designs for shapes and patterns made by the Royal Worcester factory under his direction

The name was changed to the Worcester Royal Porcelain Co. Ltd. 1862.  Royal Worcester is now over 250 years old and is one of the last bastions of 18^th Century quality and craftsmanship.  They wear artistic freedom and traditional craftsmanship as a badge of honour, carrying on Dr Wall’s vision to “create wares of a form so precise as to be easily distinguishable”.  Now part of the Portmeirion Group, Royal Worcester remains a leader in the luxury tableware and giftware market.

Royal Worcester was the first company to introduce  oven-to-table ware to fine English porcelain after World War II, with which it achieved worldwide success.  They are still one of the largest makers of porcelain and bone china in England. 

The late 1970s was a difficult time because of overseas competition and in July 1976 they merged with another great British pottery, Spode to become “Royal Worcester Spode”.  Production was moved from Worcester to works in Stoke to reduce costs.   The company struggled on but redundancies in the noughties and rising costs meant the inevitable and they went into administration in November 2008 with with the company closing on the 14^th of June 2009.  Works at Stoke, Lymdale and Worcester employing almost 400 people, closed. 

Receivers PriceWaterhouseCoopers sought a buyer and after a couple of hiccups, on the 23^rd of April 2009, Portmerion bought the name and intellectual property rights for £3.2million.  The properties were sold to reduce debt.  Portmerion is based in Stoke on Trent  and is a pottery and homewares company started in 1960 by potter designer Susan Williams Ellis and her husband Euan Cooper Ellis.  Hers is a story in itself.

Henry Sandon

No-one these days can talk about Royal Worcester without mentioning the great Henry Sandon.  For those philistines who don’t know who he is, read on.  I think I should at this point say that the Rameking has a bit of a man-crush on Henry.  Henry is the world authority on Royal Worcester.  Henry was headed down the road to a musical career when he dug up some Roman pottery in his yard.  Even though music remains a passion, his world changed.

For those of you who may have seen him on the Antiques Roadshow, Henry, now in his 80s is a happy Hobbit of a man who was Curator of the Dyson Perrins Worcester Museum for 17 years from 1966.  Henry has infected his son John with the same disease.    John has been Curator of the European Ceramics and Glass at Bonhams, founded in 1793, it is the third largest auction house after Southeby’s and Christies.  Henry has written several books on pottery and also lectures on the subject.  So Henry, on the off chance  you ever Google youself and come across my humble offering, please feel free to add any furher details that you may think relevant.

Henry is not just one of those academic types who only preaches to the converted.  Not the retiring type, he put his money where his mouth is in 1996 to become a Director of Bronte Porcelain in the Meerbrook Business Park, Malvern, Worcestershire.  Former Royal Worcester craftsmen produce spectacularly beautiful products as well as special commissions.  Henry now has a Toby jug made in his image by Kevin Francis Ceramics of Liverpool Street, Stoke, Staffordshire.  What an honour, even though he received an MBE in 2009 for services to Broadcasting, the ceramics industry and Charity.  When Time Team are digging in a thousand years, it will be the Toby Jug that survives.

Diana (6)

Designer	Diana
Maker	Diana Marrickville
Marks	No marks
Description	Cream slipware ramekin, triangular shape with integrated handle with pinched grip.  Pronounced triangular footring.  Harlequin interior.  Clear gloss glaze.
Condition	Good with age related crazing to glaze
Number	No markings but definitely Diana.
Production Date	Mid to late 1960s
Width	105mm
Depth	47mm
Length (with handle)	155mm
Weight	235gm
Volume	250ml
Acquisition	E-Bay 20th April 2012.
Rameking Reference Number

 Eric Cornwell Lowe was born in Melbourne in 1901 at East Brunswick, Victoria.  At the time, a number of potteries operated in the area, but Eric’s father (Arthur Horace Lindsay Lowe, 1868-1938) was a Salesman and later an Agent.  His mother was Amy Beatrice Catterall (b1871).  Eric moved to Sydney and married Vera Louisa Christopher in 1932, they do not appear to have had children.   Arthur and Amy moved up in the world, moving from Brunswick to Moonee Ponds, then to Caulfield, an affluent Melbourne suburb.

Young Eric was quite entrepreneurial in his late teens as he began importing cut glass and crockery from Germany and Czechoslovakia.  Timing was not on his side as this began in 1939.  This company was called “Eric C Lowe Pty Ltd.”   “Maunufacturers of Utility and Fancy Earthenware”.

The shareholders of this company were;

·        Eric C Lowe

·        Mrs Vera Louise Lowe

·        John Christopher

·        Winston McKenley Christopher

·        Brian Winter LeQueene

·        Josephine Mary Permewan (Victoria)

·        Ralph Rankin  (Victoria)

Directors of the company were

·        E.C.Lowe

·        V.L.Lowe

·        J.Christopher

·        W.M.Christopher

·         

The business was incorporated in New South Wales on the 11^th of July 1939, having previously been carried on by Eric as a sole trader, and was given 401 ordinary and 2665 preference shares when incorporated. 

Eric had a large amount of stock on hand and could not sell it due to the stigma now attached to German goods.  So, during the Second World War (1941) Eric and Vera got Government contracts to produce ceramic wares (cream ware cups and mugs and pots and jugs) for the armed forces. Eric did not join up as many of his contemporaries did.  Many industries supplying the armed forces were “protected industries” and many of their employees were exempt from military service.  Most potteries at that time were geared for the war effort and the demand from Australian and American troops was enormous. 

Seen after the company incorporated, in 1941, Eric began making art pottery.  This did not last long as wartime restrictions meant that this was prohibited in May 1942.  They began making teapots, jugs, cups and mugs around May 1942.  During wartime, price control measures meant that Eric had to submit financial returns to the Commonwealth government.  This fixed the price that Eric could charge for the output. Thankfully, these records still exist.  These give detailed accounts of all the itemised accounting for the business. 

These are notable for showing that Fowler, Bakewell and Mashman were making similar items for the services.  Still, this did not stop the business from making a profit of 39.3% in 1940/41 and 26.0% in 1941/42.  Profits gradually dropped and the next year they only made about 13%.  In 1943/44, the profit was down to 10.7%.  The next year produced a deficit of £411.  Late in 1944, Eric had to repay 25 of his workers back pay because of a Womens Employment Board decision that he had underpaid them.  These were all women as most men had by then enlisted. 

Although born in Victoria, his pottery was started at 122-126 Marrickville Road, Marrickville, Sydney and it continued there until the early 1970s, when cheap copies and imports caused a drastic decline in sales and its eventual closure.  The giant Fowler works were already established there works in the area because of the clay found in the area, and later, Studio Anna commenced nearby.  They also purchased kaolin from the Pottery Clay Works for £3.15/- per ton.

In November 1945, a fire started by a lime kiln spread to the works and quickly destroyed much of the factory. Fire is an occupational hazard in potteries and brick works but nevertheless it was a devastating blow.  The works had been extensively refurbished the previous year.  Contracts from the Services were drying up and production had to revert to peace time items.  When the war finished, Arthur began had rebuilt and began making domestic pottery for the homes of the families of returned services people.  This included a large range of slip cast vases in a variety of gloss and matte colours, sizes and shapes, or sprayed to create a speckled texture,

Their output included such products as ceramic horse-head book ends, several other animal figures, (a pair of greyhounds was a popular product) tableware, utility and kitchenware. Over 200 different shapes were produced during their lifetime.  Some products were sold using the name “Hollywood.”  By the early 1950s the company had more than 70 employees and were producing a large range of hand painted articles which included "Waltzing Matilda" musical mugs and jugs, and produced bright "gumnut" pots with pale green and brown glazes.

The musical mugs and jugs played when lifted, but the movements were expensive and difficult to obtain, being imported from Switzerland, so many mugs and jugs that should have had movements were sold without at reduced prices. In the 1960s Diana diversified their range further into decorated oven and kitchenware, hand painted with maple, poinsettia, cornflower, blackberry, wattle and flannel flower designs.  In the 1960's, a variety of small slip cast vases hand decorated in gold were made for a gift shop in the Imperial Arcade Sydney which were marketed under the name 'Imperial'.  Although these are not ramekins, I have some of them.

After the Second World War there had been a massive increase in the number of potteries around Australia. Commercial, studio and backyard potteries were being established in the suburbs of most major cities and by 1955 there were over 12,000 people working in the quarrying and manufacture of clay related industries.  This also included brickworks.  After the war, Eric had changed production to domestic pottery and throughout the 1950s, Diana was the largest and most prolific pottery in New South Wales, producing hundreds of different products and designs, many hand painted. Native wildflowers were a popular motif.

Among them, as mentioned, the Flannel Flower, an iconic Sydney plant used in imagery and art since colonial times.  Sometimes known as the Sydney Flannel Flower, it is usually known as the Flannel Flower and was chosen to be the New South Wales floral emblem for the Centenary of Federation (1901-2001).  It is found in the sandstone national parks in the greater Sydney area and can be sometimes found in spectacular drifts.  The flowers are about 50mm in diameter and appear in Spring.  The stunning Pink Flannel Flower is rarely seen as it only appears in the summer following a bushfire.

Soon after the end of the Second World War, Eric began advertising for more staff and soon had a thriving business making home-wares for the thousands of ex-servicemen starting their families.  His pottery even had a staff canteen, far more advanced than many of the other one or two person companies operating on a shoestring budget.  In the mid 1960s, they (Diana Pottery (Vic) Pty Ltd) had a shop in Melbourne at 343 Little Collins Street. 

The potteries around Australia employed thousands of people, many given their start in Australia following migration from Europe after the second word war.  Eric Jungvirt who started Studio Anna was one who started with Eric at Diana.  I think it fair to say that you would have had a piece of Diana pottery in yours or your parents home at some stage, probably a ramekin, a mixing bowl or a vase. At their peak, Diana employed around 70 people but this had declined to around 30 by 1970.  They continued on for a few more years calling their output “Dana”. 

In Australia, the Whitlam Government had cut tariffs without warning by 25 percent in 1973.  1974 saw an increase in imports of 30 percent.  By mid-1974, Australia was in an economic slump with unemployment rising significantly.  Short-term credit rates rose to extremely high levels and this caused prices to spike sharply, and according to Government figures, inflation topped 13 percent for over a year between 1973 and 1974.  On top of these problems, wage parity was legislated for female workers meant an increase in wages costs.It was in this climate that Diana fell on hard times and ceased production.  Eric was by then in his early 50s.

Much of the Dana ceramics were copies of the later “Nefertiti” ramekins, with a rough textured (Avocado) exterior and a brown glazed lip and interior. They also produced wares using the names Hollywood, Imperial and just plain Australian.  Check out the Diana website for lots more.   Also, a potter at Bendigo Pottery told me that the conveyor that moves the pottery around the Bendigo Pottery today was said to have come from the old Diana Pottery after it closed in 1974.  The entire Marrickville site consisting of the Fowler, Diana and Studio Anna potteries was demolished and subdivided in 1982.  Eric died in Sydney NSW on the 10^th February 1977 age 76.  Vera lived on for many years.

Piral

Designer
Maker	Piral
Marks	Stamped “Made in Italy” to base
Description	Terracotta bowl with gloss glaze to interior and exterior. Flat unglazed base with looped handle.
Condition	Good used condition for age
Number
Production Date	1970s
Width	150mm
Depth	50mm
Length (with handle)	210mm
Weight	480gm
Volume	620ml
Acquisition	Salvo Stores
Rameking Reference Number	PIR 001-003

These are terracotta cooking dishes, (2 dishes and 1 gravy pot) made in Italy and marketed as "Terre D'Umbria", most likely by the Piral company.  Piral is one of the oldest Italian pottery makers, beginning in 1870 at the small Italian town of Albisola Superiore, a municipality in the Province of Savona.  It is in the region of Liguria, about 35km south-west of Genoa, near the border with France.  The town is divided into two by the Sansobbi river.  Albisola Marina (the other part) is below and in 1963, the council created the Lugomare degli Artisti, a ceramic promenade there.

Terracotta is much less fragile than other pottery, but some precautions need to be taken before use.  Bring the heat up gradually and terracotta will cook slowly and evenly.  Avoid sudden changes in temperature.  These can be put directly onto a flame because Piral fire their terra cotta at 1800°F (1000°C).  This cures the terracotta clay but does not seal it.  They are microwave safe and can also be put in a dishwasher.  Please use only wooden or silicone utensils to avoid damaging the glaze.  Another of their selling points is that they are made from non-toxic raw materials.  Some other terra cotta pots contain toxic materials such as lead and cadmium.

For many years, Piral were at 153 Via Casarini but ceased trading in October 2010.  Since their recent takeover by Albis Ltd, they have now moved to new premises at Vado Liguri.  New equipment has been purchased and it is expected that they will be back in full production within 3 years.   The Provincial government is assisting with retraining.  Piral also make kitchen accessories, art pottery and other restaurant and homewares as well as their extensive range of terra cotta pots.

Before first-time use, soak the terracotta cooking pot in room temperature water for three hours, then dry thoroughly.  If you only use terra cotta occasionally, then you must repeat this process each time you use them.  After use, let the pot cool completely then wash with warm water and soap.  Dry thoroughly before storage. 

Food and liquids should not be stored in these pots as moisture gradually penetrates the clay, destroying the finish and causing beading when reheating. 

One of the local specialties is Ligurian Fish Stew .

This is the Rameking version of the recipe, please give it a try.

1-1/2 lbs. of fish (any fish will do)

1 Tablespoon, salt

2 Tablespoons of butter
1 Carrot, sliced
1 Onion, chopped
4 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 Cup white wine
3 Large Tomatoes, chopped
3 Cups chopped cabbage
2 Cups chicken broth
1/4 Tablespoon  paprika



Rinse and lightly season fish with salt.

Roughly chop the fish into 1-2 inch chunks and set aside.
In a 6 qt stock pot, heat butter over medium heat.
Add carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook for 5-6 min.
Add the wine and cook another 5-6 min.
Add the tomatoes, cabbage, broth, pepper and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Reduce heat and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook another 8-9 min.
Add chopped fish and  cook another 4-5 min.
Total preparation time: 40 min.
Serves: 4 to 5

Aegitna

Designer	Saltalmacchia
Maker	Aegitna
Marks	Stamped “Aegitna Villauris Made in France”
Description	Shallow clay bowl with knob handle and small pouring lip on rim.
Condition	Fair condition for age, mottled finish due to condition of clay.  Ochre gloss glaze to interior and exterior of bowl and handle.  Dark brown tip to handle.  Unglazed flat base.
Number
Production Date	Early 1980s
Width	120mm
Depth	45mm
Length (with handle)	180mm
Weight	310gm
Volume	300ml
Acquisition	E-Bay 4-April 2012
Rameking Reference Number	AEG 001-003

France has two major pottery producing areas.  One is on the west coast in Brittany, centred on the town of Quimper and the other is on the eastern border with Italy in the Alpes Maratime.  These are from the east.  AEGITNA was begun in the pottery town of Vallauris in France's Alpes Maritime region in 1920 by the young Placide Joseph Saltalmacchia.  The town, known in Roman times as Cordula is now an extension of Antibes (Roman Antipolis) and is located about 30 miles from Nice.  Historically, Aegitna was a town of the Oxybii located near Antibes mentioned in the Ligurian war, (Complete Histories of Polibius XXXIII), believed to be the early name for Cannes.  From 1948 until 1955 Pablo Picasso lived in Villauris, leading to a renaissance of the pottery industry there.  Some of his works are still seen there by tourists today.  

 The abundance of clay and timber in the area has supported a pottery industry for centuries.  The bronze statue of “Man with a Sheep”, Picasso's gift to the town, stands in the main square and marketplace, Place de la Libération, beside the church and castle.   The castle of Vallauris is the former priory of the Abbey of Lerins, built in the 16^th century.  It contains the National Picasso Museum.  An international biennale of contemporary ceramics is also held in the town.

Note the ramekins on display

Pottery has been made in the area for centuries and blossomed during the 19^th Century, particularly Massier and Foucard Jourdan.  Today the main street, avenue Georges is almost entirely pottery shops.  Modern Vallaurus is lead glazed earthenware, often highly coloured.  Domestic tableware and cooking pots feature.  Four members of the Saltalmacchia family have worked in Subreville street in the town between 1877 and 1936.  Placide Joseph Salatalmacchia, born 1903 worked at Aegitna from 1920 until 1977 when he was replaced by his son Joseph.  Joseph continued until 1988 and was replaced by Grand daughters Gaby and  Nicole Honorine who is a self-taught sculptor.  Aegitna’s other pottery is very collectable, particularly their colourful oyster plates.

Eric Juckert

No, I have not run out of ramekins, because Eric didn't make them as far as I know.  It is just that there is so little out there about Eric and it seems that a lot of people want to know about him.  Well, here goes.

Eric Carl Juckert was born in the working class suburb of Richmond, Victoria on the 26^th of October 1918. His father George Louis Otto Carl Juckert, (1884-1957) was then a Telegraph Mechanic and his mother was Ethel May Storey  (1895-1945).  They lived at 177 Coppin St Richmond.  The name “Juckert” is German in origin.  In 1919, the family moved to 34 Fitzgibbon Crescent, Balaclava.  This was a better class of suburb in 1919 and quite expensive today.   

Eric was a prolific studio and commercial ceramic artist who began his extensive career with Una Deerbon (nee Darlot) at her studio at 5 Bray Street South Yarra in Melbourne, Victoria in 1936.  Then between 1937 and 1950 Eric set up his own business at his home at 34 Fitzgibbon Crescent, Balaclava, making a range of pottery that was sold by the Myer and David Jones department stores under the name Jacqueline.  Charles Wilton also worked with Eric at this time.  

Eric’s first advertized sales were at the height of the great depression at the 4^th Floor, Bank Chambers (Centreway Arcade) 255 Collins Street Melbourne on the 8^th of December 1937.  In 1939 at the start of the Second-World-War Eric, along with Charles  joined the RAAF as an Aircraftsman, he was discharged in 1946.  (To be accurate, Charles joined the Army in March 1940 then transferred to the Airforce in 1942.)  Following a number of issues with the then Commonwealth Department of Employment and National Service, the pottery closed in 1950.

  

For a time from early 1947, Eric was the proprietor of the Granthaven Gentlemans Country Home, near Healesville, Victoria.  He advertised Granthaven extensively during this year.  He also exhibited at the prestigious Kozminsky Gallery in Melbourne on the 20^th of November 1947. 

  

In 1949, Eric was back in Melbourne, this time at 337a Balaclava Road Caulfield, not far from his old home in Balaclava.  The Electoral Roll lists him as being a potter.  He advertised pottery lessons from there on 29^th November 1949.  This venture lasted until 1954 when he moved to Sandy Creek Road, Riddell, near Gisborne, north of Melbourne where he is listed on the electoral roll as a Farmer.  The Electoral Roll for Balaclava shows George, now a Toolmaker living with Norman and Isabel Juckert, Ethel is not there.  She died in 1945.

  

Eric traveled to England for a time and is believed to have also traveled to Mexico, although there is scant evidence of this.  On his return to Melbourne, he then set up a studio at Point Road, Grossard point, Ventnor on Phillip Island, south of Melbourne in 1959 where he continued working there until 1992. His commercial works which were mainly made with a white spatter finish are incised 'Juckert' or 'Eric Juckert' to the base.  This spatter finish was used by a number of potters, most notably Premier, Rathjen and Raynham, but Eric was not restricted to this style. 

He was a magnet for other potters and was always available for advice.  People traveled from around the world to work with him.  A selection of his work showing the wide variety of styles he produced can be seen at the local museum in Cowes, Victoria.  They are only open between 10 and 12 am on a Thursday, but you can still sneak a peek through the front window.
  

Detail from Mural showing part of Eric's gallery at Ventnor.

Eric painted a large mural in the foyer of the Cowes Cultural Centre on Phillip Island as part of the Australian Bicentennial celebration in 1988, illustrating the history of Phillip Island.  Eric died on the 4^th of January 2004 at the Warley Hospital, Cowes, Phillip Island.  He is buried in the Cowes Cemetery.  He was a popular local although it appears that he never married and had no children.  The people I spoke to who knew him said that he had a pleasant personality, was friendly but became somewhat reclusive in his later years.  

Detail of Eric's home and kiln from the mural.

A beachfront reserve adjascent his home at Ventnor was named in his honour.  The Bass Shire Council said that “Short of naming a major public building or the like after him, it is hard to imagine a more appropriate recognition of Mr Juckert’s contribution to Phillip Island.”  Don't look for anything there with his name on it because you won't find anything.  Charles Wilton also worked on Phillip Island from the early 1970s until his death in 2001.

Postscript;  In “The Penguin”, the newsletter of the Phillip Island Conservation Society of June 2011, they say that “ Over much of the coastline here, residential areas are well hidden, maintaining a sense of remoteness on the beach. In stark contrast, however, is the deplorable dense block-like housing that has arisen adjacent to Grossard Point, on the land previously owned by the late artist and potter, Eric Juckert. As we walk towards the point, they are a constant reminder of regrettable planning decisions of the past.”

Never say that the Rameking doesn't go the extra mile.