Mid Century Elizabeth Ann MacPhail Twisted Stem Miniatures

Guernsey, c.1960s–70s
 
Two small pedestal forms with twisted stems and flared, open cups — sculptural, slightly theatrical, and completely unapologetic about it.
 
One is finished in a deep iron-rich brown with a matte, almost volcanic surface and darker interior. The other is glazed in a mottled blue-green with a soft sheen and subtle pooling in the bowl. Same silhouette, different mood. The twist through the stem gives them movement — they feel like they’re mid-turn rather than standing still.
 
They’re not quite goblets, not quite vessels. More like miniature statements. Decorative, but with proper weight and intention behind them. You can see the hand in the shaping — especially in the brown example where the surface remains deliberately textured.
They work beautifully as a pair because of the contrast — earth and sea, matte and gloss — but they’re united by that distinctive spiralled stem.
 
Small, yes. Timid, absolutely not.
 
About Elizabeth Ann MacPhail
 
Elizabeth Ann MacPhail worked at Briglin Pottery, 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 form with confident hand-decoration. Pieces attributed to her Guernsey period were produced on a smaller scale and remain comparatively scarce on the market today.
 
Condition: Excellent
Size: 
W 4cm x H 7.5cm (brown)
W 3.5cm x H 6cm (green)