The original Connoisseur of Malvern studio existed for 15 years, starting in 1979 and operating under the ownership and direction of Diane Lewis and her husband Terry. Because the studio changed ownership and staff after it was sold, collectors of Connoisseur of Malvern may (and should) want to differentiate between the original-studio and post-studio-sale products.…
In the world of art porcelain, it was almost unheard-of for studios to give credit to the individual artists who actually created the sculptures; there was an almost universal policy of forced anonymity. Normally the only name that appeared on a studio’s output was that of the studio itself, typically that of its founder or…
There were some items made by Connoisseur that don’t quite fit into any of the categories I’ve set up, so they’re collected here under the heading of decorative eggs, ornaments, and “oddments” – for lack of a better term! Decorative Eggs Connoisseur produced at least two Faberge-style eggs, i.e., ones where the top half opens…
Although Disney characters are hardly the first things that come to mind when one thinks of the Connoisseur of Malvern porcelain studio, there were a surprising number of such designs, all produced during the 1990s. They fall into two categories: the editions based on classic Disney movies, and the series connected to a venture called…
The original Connoisseur studio created two types of hand-painted porcelain plaques: flat-painted and dimensional. All the dimensional plaques are botanical subjects and were produced in a variety of sizes and editions. They are shown below in chronological order by introduction year. The first Connoisseur plaques were issued in 1981 which was the second year of…
The spirited writer/socialite/artist Fleur Cowles, who died in 2009 at the venerable age of 101, designed several sculptures for Connoisseur of Malvern as well as for several other noted British firms such as Denby and Border Fine Arts. An American (a Brooklynite, her name was actually Florence Friedman) by birth, she combined her experience as…
One of the lesser-known design genres from Connoisseur of Malvern was their human studies. Both Richard Sefton and Robert Russell created incredibly realistic porcelain portraits based on dance, literature, and international cultures. Bugaku stands 20” tall on his cherry wood base and was a limited edition of 25 issued in 1983, designed by Richard Sefton.…
There really is only one name associated with the equine sculptures by Connoisseur of Malvern, and that is Richard Sefton. In particular his horse-and-rider sculptures truly capture the essence of the partnership between rider and steed. Originally an architect and builder, Mr. Sefton became a sculptor in the mid-1970s and launched a successful artistic career…
The Chatsworth Lady 