Model of a Church (Study Centre)

The inscription on the base of the detachable spire reads 'Delftfield 5th August 1789'.

 

However, the purposed of the model remains a mystery. Did the church it depicts once exist, or is it completely fictional? It was more than likely commissioned for a specific purpose or individual. But its history is long lost to us.

 

The maker modelled the earthenware clay to mimic traditional Scottish building materials and features.

 

The windows and doorway are made to look like carved stone. The exterior walls (and more unusually the roof) are covered with shredded clay to suggest pebbledash.

 

The glass windows are painted with enamel to create the effect of leaded glass. Through the windows you can see two kneeling human figures, both paused in contemplation from reading.

 

Delftfield began operations beside the Clyde in 1748. It was the first commercial pottery in Scotland. It closed in 1823, by which time Glasgow was quickly establishing itself as the pottery production centre of Scotland.

 

By the late 1800s there were 17 industrial potteries in Glasgow. They all manufactured a variety of tableware and decorative items for the domestic and export market.