Staffordshire Pottery

by Dr. Lori Verderame

If you have heard of Staffordshire pottery, you probably know that the term is an all-encompassing one. Although you might find the name on pottery marks when trying to identify Staffordshire pottery, the term Staffordshire references the famous 18th and 19th Century ceramics produced in central England. There is not just one Staffordshire factory that made ceramic pieces called Staffordshire pottery but in fact there were many manufacturers working in the region of Staffordshire producing high quality ceramic wares. Some of the best known firms characterized under the name of Staffordshire included Enoch Wood & Sons, James and Ralph Clews, Thomas Whieldon, Josiah Wedgwood, Josiah Spode, Ralph Wood, Minton, Aynsley, Doulton, etc.

Wedgwood pottery in Staffordshire

For instance, the Staffordshire based firm of Wedgwood created creamware, terracotta Etruscan wares, pearlware, Jasperware stoneware with metal oxides, unglazed black stoneware also known as basalts. Many different pottery makers contributed new and innovative ceramic methods which made Staffordshire a household name.

Why Staffordshire, England area?

The Staffordshire area was known for its clay, lead, salt; all necessary for the production of quality pottery and vital to establishing pottery factories. Learn how to identify Staffordshire pottery and you’ll understand high quality clay. The pottery industry put towns such as Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke, and Tunstall on the map–covering roughly 100 miles of this part of England. The geography of the area of Staffordshire in central England made it a fine spot for the production of slipware and other lead-glazed ceramic earthenware. The thick layers of clay needed to make earthenware and slipware was readily available in this part of England. In the 1700s, the clay that a potter needed was so easy to find that they would simply dig it up from a nearby roadway leaving a hole and coining the term “pot hole.”

Transferware

Transferware is a type of decorative pottery—typically earthenware, ironstone, or porcelain—which features imagery that is transferred, hence the name, from a printed image onto a piece of fired pottery.

Certain transferware made by particular firms are sought after. Also, transferware patterns depicting Asian landscapes, American landmarks or locales, seafaring imagery and objects presented in series of a theme are among the most popular pieces. Platters with rounded edges and small cups and saucers are somewhat rare and of interest to devoted collectors. About 90% of transferware is made in England, specifically in the Staffordshire area of England.

What to Look For

The patterns or decorative images of transferware derived from the Chinese and Chinese blue and white pottery. Some popular patterns of transferware ceramic include the Fisherman and the Cormorant from the late 1700s or the Arms of the States series depicting some of the seal of the cities or states from the 13 original American colonies.

Transferware was first introduced in the late decades of the 1700s or late 18th Century. It grew in popularity by the early to mid 1800s. Transferware patterns were registered in the mid to late 19^th Century with the patent office in London, England. Even today, transferware is popular and desirable with collectors.

The colors of transferware ceremics used to make the decorative patterns were typically red on white, pink on white, purple or amethyst on white, cranberry on white, black on white, brown on white, etc. By the late 19^th Century, transferware colors on white may be multi-colored such as red and green on white or blue and brown on white.

Look for the word “England” on transferware pottery made between 1890 to 1920. Many pieces of transferware will have information about the country of origin, maker, pattern name, and other marks on the underside. This will help you to identify its origin.  In the early 1900s, transferware usually has a mark that reads “Made in England.”

Request an online appraisal of your Staffordshire pottery from Dr. Lori.