Planter pot

New Zealand potter George Boyd made this planter pot (with stand) around 1885. That same year he exhibited a range of his products at the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition in Wellington. The judges commended Boyd's 'most attractive show of pottery' saying his work proved there could be 'a real art-feeling in the manufacture of cheap and common goods'. Following the exhibition, he gifted a selection of his 'artistic wares' to the Colonial Museum, a predecessor of Te Papa.

Technique
This piece is earthenware, a general term for ceramic made from a simple clay mix that is fired at a low heat. The technique produces soft, porous objects that need to be glazed to be functional.

Boyd used a Majolica-type glaze. This technique entails covering the ceramic with a layer of tin enamel that forms a white, opaque, porous surface when it dries. After decoration is applied, the piece is covered with a transparent glaze and fired again. The end product results in a stable decoration and glossy surface.

George Boyd
George Boyd (1825-1886) trained as a potter in Ireland before immigrating to New Zealand. In 1851 he settled in Auckland. Nine years later he set up his own business, the Newton Pottery. Although mainly producing functional items, he also earned a reputation for ornamental wares.

When he died in 1886, his will ordered the executors to close down the Newton Pottery, sell the machinery, and destroy the moulds. Hence, examples of his work are now rare and highly sought after.