Clifton Pottery took a different route than most manufacturers. The pottery was almost all handcrafted, and the total employee count of the company never exceeded twelve members (in the art pottery era). This combination fueled the creation of some incredibly special pieces, distinguished by the uncommon level of attention applied to each work. The early 1900s saw the commercial success of their first two lines - Crystal Patina (1905) and Clifton Indian Ware (1906). The second line in particular was so well received that other large potters begin emulating the style. Later lines of pottery, in the 1910s, followed the same novel formula. The pieces themselves had a dense white body, often matte glazed in a brownish-red, pale blue, green, or black. Earlier pieces featured less design - with more effort applied to mastering the glazing and finish. In the later years, the mastery of their craft allowed elegant designs to grace the surfaces of the pottery.
Clifton pieces are often engraved with their company name, “Clifton” on the base. This can be done in a serif font, scratch-writing, or a full title encompassed by a large C. There are also two lesser-used marks, a circle with an arrow pointing up into it, and a capital “R” with bottom flags and a curl on the left side.
Clifton Art Pottery delved heavily into tile work in the 1920s, and subsequently renamed their company “Clifton Porcelain Tile Company”. Despite this change in focus, Clifton Pottery is largely remembered for its famous art pottery lines in the early 1900s, and the intimate works to come out of the small pottery on 51 Clifton Street will always be treasured.