Got a Crown Lynn memory of your own? Mine started with a swan on Nannaâs farm porch.
It lived right there by the door, stuffed full of treasures. Bits and bobs, whatever had been found that day, all thrown in together. Just part of everyday farm life really. But it caught my eye every single time. I thought it was the most beautiful thing.
Years later my Nanna told me the story. They'd been given two Crown Lynn swans as a wedding gift, and that's how one ended up living on the porch.
That little swan is the reason Crown Lynn art has become such a big part of what I do. And if you've got a Crown Lynn memory of your own, I reckon you'll know exactly what I mean.
A little bit of Crown Lynn history
Here's a fun twist I only discovered recently. Crown Lynn's story starts in Hobsonville, just around the corner from where I live now.
In 1864, Rice Owen Clark started a pottery on his Hobsonville farm, making field tiles to drain its heavy clay soil. Limeburners Bay became home to two major pottery works, his and Joshua Carder's, plus a smaller one owned by Robert Holland. The Clark business grew from those small beginnings and passed down through the family. By 1930 the Hobsonville clay had run out, so the firm moved to New Lynn, and generations later Tom Clark, Rice Owen's great-grandson, turned it into Crown Lynn.
You can still walk among the old kiln and chimney stack bases at the Limeburners Bay heritage site today. I popped down at golden hour to take this photo, and standing there knowing my swans started with that clay gave me goosebumps.
The heritage signs tell the story of the Clark family pottery, started in 1864.
Clark House, Hobsonville, Auckland.
Up on the hill is Clark House, built from ceramic blocks made right there at the pottery works.
Crown Lynn itself was made in New Lynn, Auckland, from 1948 until the factory closed in 1989. For decades it was in just about every Kiwi home. Cups, plates, jugs, vases. The swan vase became one of the most-loved pieces of the lot, and Te Papa even has Crown Lynn swans in its collection.
These days people hunt for it at op shops, markets and auctions. It's proper Kiwi treasure.
Spotted on screen?
Crown Lynn was in so many Kiwi homes that it's no surprise people reckon they've spotted it on screen. When I asked the lovely Crown Lynn Fan Club, members suggested Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Brokenwood Mysteries, which apparently has the odd piece in the background. One member was even checking with her son about Goodbye Pork Pie.
Have you spotted a Crown Lynn swan in a Kiwi film or TV show? Let me know, I'd love to add to the list.
My own eclectic little collection
I don't own a Crown Lynn swan myself (yet!). What I do have is a real mix of Crown Lynn cups and plates, all different patterns. I just love the artwork on them. Nothing matches, and honestly that's half the fun.
One of my absolute favourites is this Forma plate in the Filigree 600 pattern, with its beautiful brown, almost sepia-toned floral line work. If you know my artwork, you'll probably understand why I'm so drawn to it. I'm a sucker for floral details and intricate line work, so this one really speaks to me. I find it incredibly inspiring, and I could happily sit and admire those little details for ages.
Another favourite is this Crown Lynn jug in the Fashion Rose pattern (Pattern No. 750). I absolutely love the way the florals are arranged, and the colours and definition are beautiful. The depth of the shading makes each rosette really pop, and I find all those little details incredibly inspiring for my own floral artwork.
I've also inherited a Crown Lynn dining set from my other grandparents. It only ever came out for special occasions, and I'm so stoked it's with me now. One look at it and I'm back at their table.
How the swan found its way into my art
It was my big sister who started it. She's always been my biggest cheerleader with my art, and she loves Crown Lynn just as much as I do. She told me I should draw some pieces.
She was so right. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself.
Since I don't have a swan of my own, I borrowed one. My childhood friend Amy has a beautiful Crown Lynn swan and nautilus vase, and she let me photograph them. Those photos became my reference for the vases in my artwork.
I love flowers, so what better place to put them than an iconic Crown Lynn vase? My first pieces came together in 2020, and they've just kept coming.
The stories inside the vases
Every piece of Crown Lynn art I've drawn has a little story tucked in with the flowers.
Crowned Dahlia pairs Amy's swan with dahlias I photographed at my mother-in-law's. It's become one of my most popular art prints, which makes me ridiculously happy.
Lemon Honey pairs kÅwhai with lemons. So many of us remember picking lemons off the backyard tree and being given jars of homemade lemon honey by our grandparents.
Strawberry Jam fills the Crown Lynn nautilus vase with strawberries and pÅhutukawa. Picking strawberries from backyard patches, and that jam our grandparents made.
Mandarin Backyard Bliss is mandarins and harakeke flax flowers. Growing up in Hamilton, we had a huge mandarin harvest every winter.
Flourishing Grace is a summer arrangement from my sister-in-law's garden. I saw it the day we surprised my in-laws with a visit after the 2021 Auckland lockdown, and I wanted to hold on to that moment.
Then there's Crowned PÅhutukawa, Crowned Gerbera and Crowned Hydrangea, which round out the Crowned Collection.
Want more of the stories behind my work? Read about my New Zealand art prints.
Where Crown Lynn art fits in your home
The nicest thing people tell me is that my Crown Lynn inspired artwork brings their memories flooding back. A lot of them are collectors who love showing their pieces off.
One of my favourite messages came from Kareshma, who gave my Crowned Gerbera tea towels to her friend and her mum. She even tracked down a real Crown Lynn swan on Trade Me for her mum to go with it.
My mom was in tears! Thank you for your talents Anna, you have brought a lot of joy into our homes.
Kareshma
That one still makes me smile. Another customer, Kate Slinn, shared a photo of her wall in the Crown Lynn Fan Club that has always stuck with me. A whole collection of plates hung together on a sunny yellow wall, with my framed Crowned Hydrangea and Crowned Dahlia nestled right alongside the Crown Lynn plates. It looks stunning, and Kate has very kindly given me permission to share it with you.
Kate Slinn's plate collection wall, with my Crowned Hydrangea and Crowned Dahlia. Photo: Kate Slinn, shared with permission.
There are a few ways to bring them home:
Art prints, framed or unframed, in a range of sizes.
Art print tea towels. They're a generous size, so they look like a piece of artwork in the kitchen, and they're a lovely gift that's easy to post.
What's your Crown Lynn memory?
I'd love to hear yours. Was it a swan on your nan's windowsill? A jug at the bach? A set that only came out for special occasions? Tell me in the comments below, or tag me @annamollekinart.
Thanks for reading, and for loving Crown Lynn as much as I do.
Anna Mollekin · NZ artist