Ronald van Ruyckevelt was born in 1928. He began his career at Wimbledon School of Art
where he was awarded the National Diploma in painting. He then went on to study ceramics
at The Royal College of Art, culminating in an Associateship. After one year of industrial
practice, he was awarded the full Royal College Diploma Des RCA.
Ronald joined the staff of Royal Worcester in August 1953 and the following year won the
British Pottery Manufacturers Federation Traveling Scholarship. He became closely involved
with the production of Dorothy Doughty’s series of American Birds, before setting off to
America himself to study Tropical fish. Seven large fish were made as Limited Editions
and six smaller unlimited models were produced. This was followed by a series of six small
American birds, which was Ronald’s last unlimited series for Royal Worcester.
During the 1960s, Ronald designed some of the most technically adventurous models
Worcester has ever produced – a Limited Edition series of Big Game Fish, a series of large
Game Birds and a number of hand-made Tropical flowers. After his wife, Ruth, left the
employ of Royal Worcester in 1968, Ronald completed the series of Victorian Ladies, which
she had begun in 1958.
In 1972, Ronald van Ruyckevelt modeled the beautiful Wedding Doves to celebrate the Silver
Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. His final work for Royal Worcester in
the 1970s was the series of six ‘Queens Regnant’. Works modeler, Ken Potts, completed this
series.
Ronald van Ruyckevelt left Royal Worcester in 1974. During his career with Royal Worcester,
Ronald produced over 65 models. Unfortunately, some were never put into full production,
but most of them were successful and are collectors’ items today.
[download pdf=”/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Ronald-van-Ruyckevelt-models.pdf” content=”Royal Worcester models by Ronald van Ruyckevelt 1953–1974″]