Linn Ware: Celebrating the Ceramics of Olifantsfontein

Timed Online Auction, 2 - 13 May 2025

Session One
About the Session

This sale features a broad selection 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 Ceramic Studio, renamed Linn Ware in 1943, was founded on Sir Thomas Cullinan’s farm Olifantsfontein, outside Johannesburg which had rich deposits of clay and lime. It was staffed mostly by women students from the Durban School of Art, several of whom studied further at the Royal College of Art, London.  The Studio closed in the late 1950’s but left behind a beautiful body of work that is highly collectable today. Discover more about Linn Ware's fascinating history here.

 


Sold for

ZAR 9 380
Lot 53
  • Linn Ware; Side plates, six
  • Linn Ware; Side plates, six
  • Linn Ware; Side plates, six
  • Linn Ware; Side plates, six


Lot Estimate
ZAR 2 200 - 2 400
Selling Price
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
ZAR 9 380
Delivery
Additional delivery charges apply
Shipping
Condition Report
May include additional detailed images

About this Item

Olifantsfontein, South Africa 1943-1955
Side plates, six

painted LINN WARE

blue- and rust-glazed earthenware
2cm high, 18cm diameter

Notes

This particular set has the smoky-blue and russet colour palette, achieved using cobalt and iron oxide in a transparent glaze, which together with the signature innovation of double-glazing, resulted in the rich depth of colour and the luminosity for which these pieces became renowned.

View all Linn Ware lots for sale in this auction