Stylish Art Deco Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian large centrepiece bowl or charger by William S Mycock 1936. Broad flat rim with deep central bowl. Broad rim decorated with stylised birds in flight amongst clouds. Attractively glazed with the design outlined in indigo and highlighted in turquoise over a mottled blue-grey ground. Impressed factory mark and shape number 3377. Incised WSM monogram for William S Mycock together with his year cypher for 1936. The charger measures 36 cm in diameter and 6.5 cm in height.
 
As manufacturers of decorative tiles, Pilkington's made the first steps in establishing what was to become their pottery department in 1898. Initially they developed crystalline and opalescent glazes which were discontinued after a few years. Subsequent years saw their range of glazes extended under the influence of successive ceramic chemists. During the early 1930's the pottery department experienced a number of setbacks which together with poor financial returns resulted in its closure in 1937.
William Mycock completed his apprenticeship at Wedgwood but left to become a "jobbing" artist working at a number of potteries, gaining experience of a variety of techniques. He joined Pilkington as a tile artist in 1894 but moved to Pilkington’s pottery department c1906 where he remained until his retirement in 1938 (after its closure). He was Pilkington's longest serving pottery artist.