Type Name:

PEARLWARE, EDGED

Category:

REFINED EARTHENWARE

Production Origin:

ENGLAND

Production Date Range:

1785-1840

Defining Attributes:

White to light cream colored, thin, hard refined earthenware paste paste.

White to faint bluish white clear lead glaze, caused by the addition of cobalt to the glaze. There is a bluish cast where the glaze pools.

Rims are scalloped or plain, and decorated with a variety of impressed or embossed designs, each of which has chronological significance (see Comments).

Rims are painted with a thin band of color. Blue and green are common, pink occurs occasionally.

Vessel Forms:

BOWL
PLATE
PLATTER

Comments:

Miller (1987) has devised the following guide to dating specific rim decorations. The earliest, ornate "Rococo" shell edged variety (ca.1785-1812) does not occur in this collection. Scalloped rim, impressed curved lines, 1802-1832 (Specimen # ‘s345, 346, 347, 349, 352, 354, 355, 357, 359) Scalloped rim, impressed straight lines, 1809-1831 (Specimen #’s 350, 353, 360, 361, 362) Scalloped rim, Scalloped rim, impressed "bud" design, 1813-1834 (Specimen #’s 348, 356, 358) Embossed (raised) patterns of floral, figural, geometric elements: 1823-1835 (Specimen #’s 363,364, 366, 367) Unscalloped rim, impressed design (Specimen #’s 344, 365).

Published Definitions:

Noel Hume 1969, South 1977, Sussman 2000a