Ernest Shufflebottom

Ernest Shufflebottom was born in England. He was a ceramic potter and designer active from the 1930s - 1950s.

He was trained by Keith Murray, a New Zealand-born ceramic designer, while at Wedgwood & Co in England. He developed into a master thrower and was a key interpreter of Murray's innovative domesticware. In 1948 Shufflebottom was brought to New Zealand by Crown Lynn along with a number of other designers including Frank Carpay to work in the company's 'Specials Department'. He was employed to produce more upmarket works that would expand the market for Crown Lynn ceramics. He was one of the few professional 'throwers' working in New Zealand during the period from his arrival in 1948 to his departure in 1957. He continued the 'machined' style used by Keith Murray and would 'throw' the clay on a pottery wheel to create the vase. His assistant would then 'turn' it on a lathe to produce the indentations. The matt white finish of his work was made possible by Crown Lynn's 1948 development of a formula based on Matauri sourced clay, which consistently burned white. These works were essentially a theme and variation on those he had thrown at Wedgewood and instituted the exchange of a distinctive modernist iconography particular to Britain and New Zealand.

His work has continued to influence New Zealand potters - in particular the potter John Parker.

List of Works

* [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/search.aspx?advanced=colProProductionMakers%3a%22Shufflebottom%2c+Ernest%22+colCollectionGroup%3aCH Works in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa]

References

* [http://www.betterbydesign.org.nz/readingandlinks/features/thecreativecontinuum/chapter3/ The Creative Continuum - Early Enterprise, expat exports and more]
* [http://www.johnparker.co.nz/personal/text/Lloyd-Jenkins%20-%20The%20Journey%20towards%20white.htm The Journey Towards White by Douglas Lloyd Jenkins]
* Lloyd Jenkins, D. (2004) At Home: a Century of New Zealand Design. Auckland: Random House.

Persondata
NAME = Shufflebottom, Ernest
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SHORT DESCRIPTION = potter
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