From the 17^th century to the present, Staffordshire potteries exported wares throughout the world, particularly the blue-and-white ware of the 18^th century. Thomas Whieldon (1719-1795) started his factory in 1740 in Fenton Low, Staffordshire, around the time when there was a surge of growth in the Staffordshire potteries. These potteries flourished in the 18^th and 19^th centuries and in 1800 there were around 150 different ones. Whieldon took on Josiah Wedgwood as a partner from 1754 to 1759. Other great potteries were founded there around this time, including the one by John Davenport that started in 1765 and survived for 100 years. Their wares included mottled Whieldon ware, colourful lead-glazed earthenware figures and early “Toby Jugs” by Ralph I (1715-72), Ralph II and Enoch Wood, and the various wares of Josiah Wedgwood. Another famous Staffordshire potter was Josiah Spode, who started as an apprentice in Thomas Whieldon’s factory from 1749 to 1754 and set up on his own in about 1767.

Collection of Maling pottery

It was not only Staffordshire where potteries flourished. The Maling pottery started in Sunderland in 1762, moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1817 and finally closed in 1963. It started in utility wares, but developed a way to make containers, such as marmalade jars, economically by machine. Maling became very successful and claimed to be the largest pottery in the world. They expanded into decorative lustre wares, called locally “pitman’s Derby”.

In the early 19^th century porcelain and stoneware became sufficiently inexpensive and of good quality that Delftware potteries died out. However, in 1851 Minton restarted the craze for majolica, with the demand this time mainly from Americans. They introduced tin-glazed wares such as teapots shaped as tortoises and monkeys, dishes formed as large carp and amusingly decorated pie dishes, all in bright colours. They also used it for domestic items such as very decorative garden seats and umbrella stands. Persian designs were also copied.

Minton’s majolica - courtesy Skinner Inc

Nineteenth century Japanese ceramics also had an impact in the west from around 1859 but particularly in the Meiji Period when its new young emperor embraced international trade in 1867, the date of the Paris exhibition. From then no international exhibition was without its display of Japanese art, and it made a significant contribution to the Aesthetic Movement and Art Nouveau. Highly decorated cream coloured Satsuma earthenware, with much gilding, became popular in the west, although within Japan their taste was more minimal. The Worcester potters picked up on this style producing pottery with much gilding and piercing.

Satsuma vases, central one illustrating
tea ceremony

12.2.3 Stoneware

Salt glazed stoneware Bellarmine,
Cologne 1550 - courtesy
E&H Manners

Stoneware had been imported from Siegburg in the Rhineland from the 14^th century, and stoneware mugs in the 15^th century. Bellarmine jugs were imported in the 16^th and 17^th centuries and can be dated by the style of the facemask. As Delftware was fragile and chipped easily, from the 16^th century British taverns had been importing significant numbers of the tougher Rhineland salt-glazed stoneware. It was often coloured brown with relief decoration highlighted in blue and purple.