Type Name:

PEARLWARE, HAND PAINTED BLUE AND WHITE

Category:

REFINED EARTHENWARE

Production Origin:

ENGLAND

Production Date Range:

1775-1840

Defining Attributes:

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

Transparent or faintly bluish clear lead glaze, caused by the addition of cobalt to the glaze.

Bluish cast where glaze pools.

Asian-inspired underglaze motifs hand painted in cobalt blue.

Vessel Forms:

BOWL
CUP
PLATE
PLATTER

Comments:

Handpainted Chinese-inspired designs on pearlware were eclipsed by transfer printing by about 1812-1815. After about 1820, blue floral designs painted with a bolder stroke than was common in the chinoiserie examples, became more popular.

Published Definitions:

Noel Hume 1969, South 1977, Miller 1991, Sussman 2000b