BACK TO ARCHIVE   WOMEN POTTERS - STOKESAY WARE BY JEAN NISBETT THE DOLLS' HOUSE MAGAZINE NUMBER 45, FEBRUARY 2002 Reproduced with the kind permission of the publisher.   Page 1 Persian Rose - a much-loved pattern from the 19th century   Karen Griffiths trained as a graphic designer before specialising in ceramics at the Royal College of Art, where she took an MA in 1981. Initially, Karen set up her pottery with the intention of producing full-sized pots, but was lured into the world of miniatures after visiting the Dolls' House Shop in Covent Garden. Karen soon realised that working in small scale would give her the opportunity to design and make complete services and individual pieces, without the need for a large factory space. A lover of variety, she began drawing inspiration from the work of great 19th century potteries including Spode, Minton, Coalport and Derby. A design classic - the Georgian Key dinner service with 22k gold borders ENTERPRISE Stokesay Ware was set up in 1981 by Karen and her partner Peter Armstrong. To begin with, this joint enterprise was run from a workshop at their home. Five years ago they moved into a new 850sq ft studio. 'It's a real joy to have this fantastic space,' reveals Karen. 'It's only 10 minutes walk from home, and we have the luxury of French windows leading onto a balcony - perfect for refreshing breaks.' Initially, Stokesay Ware produced terracotta and stoneware pieces for the kitchen, but these were soon phased out to allow the team to concentrate on the bone china services for which they have become famous.   Karen Griffiths of Stokesay Ware     1 :: 2 :: 3                   HOME :: FINE CHINA :: GALLERY PRICE LIST :: ORDER :: EVENTS :: PROJECTS LINKS :: ARCHIVE         STOKESAY WARE 37 Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington London N16 0SH, UK Telephone 020 7254 5242 International +44 20 7254 5242 email peter@stokesayware.com         Content, design & graphics copyright © Karen Griffiths 2002