Mid Century Elizabeth Ann MacPhail Sculptural Loop Form 1

Guernsey, c.1960s–70s
 
A compact sculptural form built from a flared cylindrical base with two stacked circular loops rising above.
 
The clay body here is deeper and richer — a chocolate brown with carved vertical lines cut through the slip, exposing the lighter clay beneath. The decoration isn’t fussy; it’s rhythmic. Almost bark-like. Above, the pale glazed loops create contrast — smooth against the textured base — with a banded collar anchoring the composition at the centre.
 
It feels slightly more grounded than the blue examples. Less soft, more structural. The stacked rings give it height while the carved base keeps it visually weighty.
Small, but very deliberate.
 
About Elizabeth Ann MacPhail
 
Elizabeth Ann MacPhail worked at Briglin Pottery in London in the late 1950s before establishing her own studio at Grandes Rocques, Guernsey, from 1961. Her work sits within the British studio pottery tradition of the mid-20th century, combining functional forms with increasingly sculptural experimentation. Pieces from her Guernsey period were produced on a smaller scale and remain relatively scarce on the secondary market today.
 
Condition: Excellent
Size: W 5.5cm x D 4cm x H 13cm