Linn Ware: Celebrating the Ceramics of Olifantsfontein

2 May 2025

The sale features a fantastic array of Linn Ware that celebrates South Africa’s rich ceramic traditions. highlighting a key moment in the country’s artistic development — during a period when industrialisation and mass production were rapidly transforming the design landscape.

The story of Linn Ware begins in the early 20th century in Olifantsfontein, a rural area east of present-day Midrand. In 1908, mining magnate Sir Thomas Cullinan founded Transvaal Potteries to take advantage of the region’s exceptional clay deposits. Although the factory closed in 1915, it laid the groundwork for what would follow. A decade later, artists Gladys Short and Marjorie Johnstone, both trained at the Durban Technical College, took over the site and established The Ceramic Studio in 1925.

By 1943, the studio had evolved into what became known as Linn Ware, forming a new identity and a shift toward more distinctive ceramic work, a feat of artistic innovation with an ethos that promoted the value of handcraft, simplicity and integrity in design. 

One of Linn Ware’s defining qualities is its rich, layered glaze, achieved through a meticulous double-glazing process, involving a technique where the ceramics are coated in a white slip followed by the application of cobalt, copper, manganese, and iron oxides, which resulted in rich and varied hues—luminous surfaces in blue, green, jade, lilac, rhubarb, russet and pale grey.

The sale includes a large jardinière-on-stand in blue and green glaze, achieved using copper oxide in a transparent glaze (estimate R20 000 – R25 000). Also included is a green-glazed bulbous vase with relief patterns (estimate R10 000 – R12 000). This piece has the iconic emerald green and turquoise colour palette, achieved using copper oxide in a transparent glaze, which, together with the signature innovation of double glazing, results in the rich, depth-enhancing finishes and the luminosity. The subtle detailing suggests the hand of a talented ceramicist, which sets it apart from standard tableware.

Other highlights include a floral-patterned jar and cover (estimate R6 000 – R8 000), hand-painted and signed to showcase the skill of individual artists working at the Ceramic Studio at the time. The sale also features a mauve-glazed vase with folded sides (estimate R2 000 – R2 500). Although the deep turquoise glaze was Linn Ware’s trademark colour, the pottery also produced other hues such as this pale mauve, created using a mix of manganese, cobalt, and iron oxides. Another highlight is a cream-glazed two-handled urn-shaped pedestal vase (estimate R5 000 – R7 000), showcasing the off-white palette characteristic of feldspathic glaze, which produced a slightly translucent appearance. Several Linn Ware items feature pedestal forms, which required a careful balance of structure, proportion, and design.

Please visit www.straussart.co.za for more information, to register to bid and to participate in the sale.

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