Burgess & Leigh (Burleigh Ware) | Meadowland Pattern | Zenith Shape Jug | Art Deco Earthenware | Burslem, England, c.1930s

Burgess & Leigh (Burleigh Ware) | Meadowland Pattern | Zenith Shape Jug | Art Deco Earthenware | Burslem, England, c.1930s

The Zenith shape was never designed to disappear into a table setting — it was made to define it.

Burgess & Leigh began manufacturing in Burslem in 1862 and moved to the purpose-built Middleport Pottery in 1889, trading as Burleigh Ware. The Zenith shape, which carries registered design number 769495 associated with the early 1930s, marked a decisive move toward angular, modernist tableware that aligned Burleigh with the most progressive British ceramic design of the inter-war period.

The Meadowland pattern, applied using a transfer outline with hand-finished colour, combines botanical subject matter with the bold graphic rhythm characteristic of Art Deco ceramics.

This jug is a well-proportioned example of the Zenith form, with a tapering body rising from a stepped foot ring, a sharply angular handle fully glazed in amber, and a wide, confidently formed pouring lip. A modelled green leaf sprig is applied at the base handle terminal, integrating the form directly with the surface decoration.

The Meadowland pattern is rendered here in full polychrome: dense clusters of orange and amber flower heads, presented as tight umbels with yellow-green buds on slender stems, are set against a cream ground and balanced by large, stylised green leaves with incised vein detail. The composition is framed at both rim and foot by a black dash-and-dot border contained within a fine amber line. The interior is glazed in a warm cream.

The base carries the Meadowland pattern mark above the Burleigh / Made in England / Zenith / Reg. Shape 769495 backstamp, together with a hand-painted size designation.

Collector Appeal

The Zenith teapot is the best-known form in the range; the jug carries the same design language. This example has strong colour, intact applied detail and a clear backstamp.

The piece is in good condition. Fine age-consistent crazing is present across the glaze, typical of earthenware of this period. There are no chips, cracks, or losses to the decoration or applied elements.

Key Details

• Maker: Burgess & Leigh (Burleigh Ware), Middleport Pottery, Burslem
• Pattern: Meadowland
• Shape: Zenith, Registered Shape No. 769495
• Form: Jug
• Material: Earthenware
• Country of Origin: England
• Period: c.1930s
• Handle to spout: 15 cm
• Height: 12.8 cm
• Weight: 285 g
• Condition: Good; fine age-related crazing throughout; no chips, cracks or losses

Other ‘Meadowland’ pieces from the shop: Zenith teapot.

The Zenith range marked a moment when British pottery embraced modernity without abandoning ornament — and pieces like this jug still carry that balance with surprising clarity.