Crown Lynn domestic ware
For many New Zealanders, the legacy of Crown Lynn is its domestic ware.
Crown Lynn pottery: A Kiwi icon
Crown Lynn Potteries Ltd was established in 1948 by Tom Clark, whose vision was to fill New Zealand homes with locally made homeware.
The Crown Lynn brand grew out of the ‘specials department’ of the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company (Ambrico), which was managed by Tom Clark’s father.
By the 1960s, Crown Lynn Potteries Ltd was the largest pottery company in the Southern Hemisphere. At its height in the 1970s, Crown Lynn was producing 15 million pieces a year.
The following decade, however, witnessed the company’s demise and Crown Lynn closed its gates in 1989. Today, the Crown Lynn brand remains a firm favourite amongst many New Zealanders.
Crown Lynn’s Wharetana range
Crown Lynn’s Māori designs aren’t limited to its ubiquitous turquoise and brown Air New Zealand range.
Crown Lynn’s artware
In the 1950s Crown Lynn produced several experimental ranges of hand-painted and hand-potted ceramics, commonly known as artware.
Crown Lynn: Servicing the nation
How Crown Lynn made a mark for NZ Railways, Air New Zealand, tea shops, and the YWCA.
Inspired by Crown Lynn
Crown Lynn has become an iconic New Zealand brand, and is frequently referenced in popular culture, contemporary art and design. Here are some examples.
Te Toi Uku: Crown Lynn & Clayworks Museum
The Portage Ceramics Trust was formed in 2005 to purchase a large private collection of ceramics and pottery-making equipment relating to Crown Lynn Potteries Limited.