KATE MALONE: INSPIRED BY WADDESDON

Ceramicist Kate Malone has been given the run of Waddesdon Manor for the last two years, and the result of her research into this extraordinary treasure house is some 50-plus new ceramics now on show there.

Waddesdon Manor was built in the 1870s-80s by Ferdinand de Rothschild in the somewhat surprising French Neo- Renaissance style, and it became the repository for his magnificent collection of decorative art. Malone has used this as the starting point, culling a range of unexpected details such as tassels, estate maps, the house’s pinnacled skyline and planting schemes to incorporate into her work. She has a great eye for detail and some of her most intriguing pots are those inspired by often overlooked elements such as the passementerie, which sets off the house’s grander textiles. She has now put this supporting cast of textiles centre stage, recreating them in clay to create complex knotted, plaited and twisted patterns with which she swathes her pots.

The central exhibits are two large-scale ‘portrait’ pots, one depicting Baron Ferdinand and one his sister Alice. Although these work successfully as stand-alone items, the fun for the viewer lies in tracking down where their various motifs come from. Thus the rather dumpy bird finial on Ferdinand’s vase reveals itself to be a homage to the floral sculptures in the garden and a reference to his aviary, while the scattering of small gold cubes refers to his collection of gold boxes, and the conical lid echoes the pointed turret roofs. The delightfully feminine ‘Miss Alice’ vase is encrusted with a latticework design inspired by patterns in the ivy growing round the turrets, and tiny flower heads, which reflect her love of gardening.

Malone is perhaps best known for her exuberant vessels inspired by fruit and vegetables, so it’s no surprise that much of the work here takes the estate and gardens as a starting point. Gourds, with their generous curves and subtle colour gradations, are a favourite, and she has taken Miss Alice’s annual autumn display of pumpkins as an excuse to create her own colourful ceramic display. Gourds figure elsewhere, some worked in glowing naturalistic colours and others decorated with unexpected motifs, such as those taken from 18th-century prints and maps. All, however, share the same energy and bravura, underlining Malone’s passion for her material and the obvious pleasure she has taken in exploring Waddesdon.

Until 16 October at Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire: 01296-653226, www.waddesdon.org.uk