Motto ware is a type of decorated earthenware inscribed with a proverb, toast, greeting or piece of homespun wisdom, most closely associated with the potteries of Torquay and the surrounding area of south Devon. Typical mottoes such as advice on patience or hospitality were often written in a rustic, phonetic version of local dialect, adding to their charm.
The style developed in the late nineteenth century at the Aller Vale pottery near Newton Abbot and was soon taken up by the Watcombe and Longpark potteries and other local makers. Pieces were made from the red local clay, coated with a cream or coloured slip, and decorated by sgraffito, in which the lettering and simple motifs are scratched through the slip to reveal the darker body beneath. Popular patterns include the cottage design, cockerels, ships, flowers and a scrolling decoration known as Scandy. The wares, including jugs, mugs, teapots, candlesticks and dishes, were sold widely as holiday souvenirs and remained in production until the mid-twentieth century. Collectors look for unusual mottoes and shapes, crisp decoration and freedom from chips and crazing. Displayed in groups on a dresser or kitchen shelf, motto ware brings humour and seaside nostalgia to cottage interiors.
