A to Z Anthology

As the Society no longer produces newsletters, we will post occasional items of interest here.
Topics will be chosen at random.
Your contributions are welcome.

W is for Waving

The team - especially our former paintresses - are always somewhat saddened to see references to Maling "thumbprint". This distinctive technique, known as "waving", is nothing to do with dipping a thumb into a pot of paint. It requires a brush and considerable skill.

The "Springtime" pattern shown here was used as the basis of souvenir plates produced for a 1997 exhibition in Newcastle - decades after Maling had closed its doors. The central floral motif is replaced by a supersized Maling castle logo by way of tribute. (See insert.)

The souvenir plates were made at the Blakeney pottery in Staffordshire and Maling paintresses were brought in to teach the waving process to the Blakeney workers.

To learn more about techniques, please view or download our video - free of charge. Maling workers go back to tour the Newcastle factory site, demonstate their skills and recollect the ups and downs of pottery life.

A series of articles on "The Life of a Pottery Girl" begins in newsletter 1.

Look, Mom - no thumbs!
And remember that a tribute act may be good - but it's never quite the real thing.

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