Troika - modernist art pottery

Troika was an art pottery operating in Cornwall. The company had been set up in Feb 1963 by three people (the troika) who contributed equally to take over Wells Pottery in St Ives. Leslie Illsley, the sculptor, contributed to the design of moulded pieces. Benny Sirota contributed with surface textures and glazes. Jan Thompson, who had been an architect, seemed to be the organiser.

Troika face vase, 1960s

In the first instance (1963-1970), Troika Pottery was based at the Wheal Dream site in St Ives. And somewhat unusually for the era, they wanted to pursue their vision of pottery as art, without too much concern for function. In fact tiles and wall plaques, some quite long, were made in the first few years with no purpose other than decoration.

Troika had two main ranges of ceramics, the rough textured range and the smooth glazed range. The smooth white surfaces made in St Ives reminded people of the Cornish landscape. Interestingly it is easier to collect the rough glazed wares today, presumably because more was made.

Many of the abstract or stylised patterns, often in sober blues and browns, were popular. The vases, marmalade pots, lamp bases and table-wares, all made from moulds, were quite architectural; some of the patterns seemed cubist. I assume that stylised sgraffito decoration, particularly coloured geometric blocks, was seen as crisp, modern and smart.

Wheal Dream site in St Ives

The new business was going well, gaining critical praise from the experts. Despite the appeal of glazed ware, Miller's noted that Troika began to concentrate on textured pieces. The company employed a small team of skilled artists who were encouraged to experiment with new types of decoration. Textured forms were unusually angular and the inspiration could have been elements of primitive Aztec design, the Cornish landscape or even the expressive geometrical paintings of Paul Klee.

And gaining high sales and popular success. Partially that was because St Ives had a well-heeled and regular summer tourist trade. And because Troika had contracts with big house and home shops in the cities. Yet when The Wheal Dream site was bought by the St Ives Council, Troika was forced to move out.

The second era (1970-1983) of Troika pots came from Newlyn, also in Cornwall. Illsley and Sirota bought an old salting house in Fragden Place, Newlyn which they had to renovate. The larger premises enabled production to be increased. Orders boomed and more staff were employed. Troika introduced only four new shapes during their time at Newlyn, one of these was the coffin vase which is the most common piece available today, along with the hanging basket and globe. Throughout the decades of operation, however, the designers continued to decorate the objects with earthy, muted colours.

above - Troika coffin vase 

below - Troika square vase

Heals in London, the home for contemporary  furniture and accessory design,  eventually made a decision to stop selling craft pottery - this meant serious trouble for Troika. Perhaps the glossy tin-glazed ware made by Troika was too highclass; the objects were expensive to produce and could only be bought by well heeled customers. 

Note that Collecting Troika Pottery added another consideration:  the Government doubled the Value Added Tax in 1979. Sales dropped and dropped. Whatever the reason, Troika was forced to close in 1983, only 20 years after its successful start. 


Not far from the Troika centre, Newlyn Art Gallery was originally a place to exhibit the art of the Newlyn School of artists. Opened in 1895, the gallery has been recently extended and opened up to the sea.