Linn Ware

The story of Linn Ware begins with the rich clay deposits found in Olifantsfontein, which inspired Sir Thomas Cullinan, mining magnate and namesake of the world’s largest diamond, to establish a ceramic enterprise. Around 1907, he sent his son, Rowland Vivian Cullinan, to Stoke-on-Trent in England to study pottery techniques and commissioned English potter Harold Emery to assist with setting up the venture. Emery was tasked with planning the operation, sourcing equipment, and recruiting skilled potters from England.

This effort led to the founding of ‘Transvaal Potteries’, which operated in Olifantsfontein from 1907 to 1914. During this period, Emery worked alongside roughly thirty potters, housed in a purpose-designed factory and a “potters’ village”, producing ceramics in the English tradition. By 1914, ‘Transvaal Potteries’ closed, partly due to financial difficulties and the discontent of the English potters, many of whom struggled to adjust to life in South Africa.  By the time the war broke out, the British potters returned home, and the workshops, kilns, and potters’ cottages at Olifantsfontein were left abandoned.

Around a similar time, British ceramicist John Adams arrived in South Africa to head the art department at Durban Technical College. There, he established a pottery school that would become important in shaping South Africa’s studio ceramics movement. Among his students were Audrey Frank, Marjorie Johnstone, Joan Methely, Thelma Newlands, and Gladys Short—several of whom would go on to play a central role in the next chapter of Olifantsfontein’s ceramic history.

In 1925, recognising the talent and potential of this new generation, Sir Thomas Cullinan invited Gladys Short and Marjorie Johnstone, both graduates of the Durban School of Art, to establish a new ceramic studio at the now-abandoned Olifantsfontein site. Joined later by Thelma Gifford-Gayton, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, they founded what would become known as the ‘Ceramic Studio’.

Initially focused on domestic pottery, the studio gained recognition and was commissioned to produce decorative tiles and architectural sculptures for architects and designers. Their work made a lasting impact on the development of South African ceramics. With the outbreak of WWII, the studio lost staff to the war effort, and imported glazes and pigments became scarce and the Ceramic Studio was faced with closure.

But in 1943, the Cullinan family acquired the ‘Ceramic Studio’ under the name of Linn Ware, with the name “Linn” derived from “Cullinan”. The earthenware produced included beautifully proportioned tableware, vases and jardinière, characterised by a unique double-glazing process. This method involved applying and firing two layers of glaze, which created a rich surface texture and colour gradations—features that gave Linn Ware its tactile and sensual quality. Linn Ware’s legacy endures, reflecting a creative endeavour in opposition to mass production, while creating a uniquely local form.