Histories of UK potters and pottery manufacturers
© Michael Perry 2011. Contact
Image courtesy of Lema Publishing Ltd, publishers of ‘Tableware International’ www.tablewareinternational.com
Last updated: 1st August 2011
Robert Allen Design Studio - Pattern Numbers
Doulton used both its own artists and external studios to produce the hundreds of patterns required to satisfy the public and the design studio of Robert Allen produced and executed hundreds of patterns for Doulton. These ‘Ra’ pattern numbers also date the ware and a key to the Ra-numbers is given in the table.
Note that the numbers were re-based
to 1 in January 1924.
Doulton bone china trio
This attractive trio has the Robert Allen number ‘Ra 9769’, corresponding to the years 1920-23.
There is also the Doulton pattern number ‘H 1682’ which was placed in the pattern book in 1923.
Image: © Michael Perry 2010
|
'RA' number |
Year |
|
1-3500 |
1882 - 1889 |
|
3500 - 6000 |
1900 -1904 |
|
6000 - 7400 |
1904 -1909 |
|
7400 - 8600 |
1910 -1914 |
|
8600 - 9600 |
1915 - 1919 |
|
9600 - 9999 |
1920 - 1923 |
|
|
|
|
1 - 480 |
1924 - 1929 |
|
480 - 1450 |
1930 - 1934 |
|
1450 - 1740 |
1935 - 1939 |
Other pattern information
In addition to Robert Allen, some other Doulton artists added personal pattern numbers to the wares they decorated. ‘HB’ numbers, hand painted on the base of tableware probably refer to Herbert Betteley, an artist at Doulton in the late-19th and early 20th centuries. I have discovered no key to the ‘HB numbers, and there may be other pattern designers/artists who did the same.
©Michael Perry 2011