Anthony : We went to this pottery on our first visit to Spring Fling , whether it was 2010, I suspect 2010 was the first one because the catalogue shows a chap riding along on a bicycle which is in fact Jason Shakleton, although he is carrying a painting with some belted galloway cattle to demonstrate it is Galloway.
Our first Spring Fling we happened to call in on Jason Shackleton’s pottery and he was a strange individual – he is the son of Shackleton who like Peter Scott paints birds, and he was the son of the explorer Shackleton, and so that is how Jason’s father came to paint birds. It’s a little group of antarctic bird loving craftsmen, and Jason Shackleton is a strange individual who goes in for large decorative pots suitable for having out of doors , particularly illustrated bees. When we were there that was his phase. But mum and I noticed these jugs up on a high shelf covered in dust, so I expect they were made ten years or so earlier. He had a phase of making jugs. It’s a very traditional style of jug based on Cretan traditions, certainly old classical pots from the Mediterranean area.
Quite how useful it is I don’t know but it is a lovely bird form. We have three of them, We have used one of them. That tradition always has the grouse or quail like bird, I suppose it’s a French hen, sitting on the handle, and all three of them have such birds on the handles, but otherwise the bird of the jug itself is quite different.
[why did you buy three?] We each bought one and then mum was tempted to buy another. [madness]. [Alison} Well they are just unique things that he wouldn’t ever repeat.
That has lived recently in the living room mantlepiece, just as they did in number 9.
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The Royal Collection 