Doulton down under

These hand-decorated ceramic vases by Doulton demonstrate the styles of some of the company’s most famous decorators.

The Doulton exhibits at the 1906–07 New Zealand International Exhibition were hugely popular and did much to inform public taste. The main display was by Christchurch retailer John Bates & Co. Sales were good and, after the exhibition, many other domestic-ware retailers began stocking Doulton – even in small but prosperous towns such as Whanganui.

Despite Doulton’s wide availability, John Bates & Co remained the preferred supplier for the wealthy.

Text taken from exhibition Walter Cook: A Collector's Quest 2012.