Cliff, Clarice (1899–1972)

English ceramic designer. Born Jan 20, 1899, in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England; died Oct 23, 1972, in Clayton, Stoke-on-Trent, England; dau. of Harry Cliff and Ann (Machin) Cliff; attended Royal College of Art; m. Arthur Colley Austin Shorter (owner of Newport Pottery factory), 1940 (died 1963).

One of England's most prolific ceramic designers, whose richly colored Art Deco pottery inspired other artists and brought lasting fame, began working at Linguard Webster and Co. pottery factory at 13; moved to firm of Hollinshead & Kirkham, serving as lithographer, and then to A.J. Wilkinson's Newport Pottery Factory (1916); given own studio (1927); launched Bizarre wares, initially as scheme for covering poorly-glazed pieces with bright colored triangular patterns and later as highly successful design style; incorporated Art Deco style in pottery design; achieved widespread success with new pottery line (1928); continued to develop Art Deco and floral patterns which met with great success in UK, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and Canada; won prizes at British Industries Fair for many years; was made art director at Newport Pottery (1930); maintained high sales despite Depression and WWII, though war shortages and necessities altered business practices significantly; sold factory to Midwinter's (1964); held 1st artistic exhibition of work outside of trade-show context (1971).

See also Leonard Griffin, Louis K. Meisel and Susan Pear Meisel, Clarice Cliff, the Bizarre Affair (Abrams, 1988).