Maud Bowden |  |
Maud Bowden was one of the many long-service Doulton ceramic artists. She started in 1903 when the period of elaborate High Victorian designs had changed into the more simple tube-lined designs and went on until 1937, when the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods had ‘burnt out’.
Three items by Maud Bowden
The design of these three Maud Bowden vases, despite being so diverse, all date from the period from 1900 to the outbreak of the 1st World War in 1914. The ewer on the right has the beadwork associated with the Victorian era, with applied shapes more associated with the Art Nouveau period.
The flask on the left is slightly later than the ewer on the right, with flowing Art Nouveau applied designs. The vase in the centre has a design that dates from about 1912 (see p217 in Desmond Eyles’ The Doulton Lambeth Wares). This vase shows the design, colours and techniques so characteristic of the Art Deco period: tube-lining and beadwork have given way to the use of brush-lining for decoration. The amount of labour required to produce the items was probably an influence on the changes in design.
Below is an example of Maud Bowden's 'MB' Doulton signature mark.
Maud Bowden Doulton monogram