Antiques and Interiors inc English Art Deco.

Description

A table lamp base made by Troika in St. Ives Cornwall.
Troika was set up in February 1962 by Leslie Illsley, Jan Thompson and Benny Sirota who took over the Powell and Wells Pottery at Wheal Dream, St Ives, Cornwall, where Sirota had previously worked. They wanted to pursue their vision of pottery as art, without regard to function. This ran counter to the aims of much of the studio pottery movement at the time, as epitomised by the work of Bernard Leach.

The venture rapidly became successful, gaining both critical praise and high sales through a combination of the summer tourist trade and contracts with department stores such as Heals and Libertys in London. Vases, lamp bases and tableware were made using plaster moulds tiles and wall plaques were also made in the early years.

The Troika pottery was based at the Wheal Dream site in St Ives, Cornwall from 1962 to 1970, when it moved to Fragden Place in Newlyn. Benny Sirota left in 1980, and with declining sales the business closed in 1983.

From 19 January to 9 March 2013 an exhibition, "Troika 1963-1983" was held at the Penlee House Gallery and Museum Penzance, celebrating 50 years since the inception of Troika, which included a number of prototypes by Leslie Illsley. Benny Sirota attended the opening and explained the origin of the company's name "my grandfather escaped from Russia dressed as a woman on a troika – a sledge with three horses...there were three of us who started the firm – and it just gelled."