Shell-edged ware
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Robert Hunter, English Ceramic Circle Transactions, Volume 34, 'The magic of British shell-edged earthenware, 1775–1860', charts the rise of this type of pottery, which was made in huge quantities in Britain and exported across the globe. The wares shown on this page are often mistakenly described as 'feather edge', but at the time of manufacture, that term denoted something entirely different – a wavelike, rococo edge of overlaid plumes, rippling around the border (see right image of a Wedgwood plate made in Staffordshire). |
Feather edge, Wedgwood plate
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© Robert Hunter & George L Miller
Shell-edged wares were amongst the cheapest items to produce. Undecorated and unglazed sherds with shell edges were relatively common finds at the North Hylton site, from items that didn't survive the first 'biscuit' firing. But there were also glazed sherds amongst the finds with underglaze blue or green oxide decoration to the shell edges, which were casualties of the 'glost' (second) firing. NB to date, all the sherds found at North Hylton appear to be from these first two firings only. Items with over-glaze enamel decoration, eg pink lustre or painted inscriptions, which would have required a third firing, have not been recorded amongst the sherds. The attrition rate of durable glazed pottery during the third firing (at a lower temperature) was apparently very low. The blue and green oxides on shell edges were, therefore, applied to biscuit-fired items and then dipped in a transparent pearlware glaze before the glost firing. This accounts for the lovely 'bleed' effect you get with these wares, with the oxides pooling in the cervices and softly radiating out into the glaze as it fused with the porous body.
Shell-edged wares were amongst the cheapest items to produce. Undecorated and unglazed sherds with shell edges were relatively common finds at the North Hylton site, from items that didn't survive the first 'biscuit' firing. But there were also glazed sherds amongst the finds with underglaze blue or green oxide decoration to the shell edges, which were casualties of the 'glost' (second) firing. NB to date, all the sherds found at North Hylton appear to be from these first two firings only. Items with over-glaze enamel decoration, eg pink lustre or painted inscriptions, which would have required a third firing, have not been recorded amongst the sherds. The attrition rate of durable glazed pottery during the third firing (at a lower temperature) was apparently very low. The blue and green oxides on shell edges were, therefore, applied to biscuit-fired items and then dipped in a transparent pearlware glaze before the glost firing. This accounts for the lovely 'bleed' effect you get with these wares, with the oxides pooling in the cervices and softly radiating out into the glaze as it fused with the porous body.
All of the shell edge finds at North Hylton appear to belong to the 1830–1840 period (see above image).
Unglazed and undecorated
Blue-glazed examples
Green-glazed examples
Complete examples
The only transfer-printed Dixon Austin examples of marked shell-edged wares recorded to date are the two plates below, each with the hand-painted monogram 'HC'. However, the edging does not match the sherds found at North Hylton and the plate is likely earlier in date. It is a closer match for Robert Hunter's date range in the final photo.
The unmarked plate below, commemorating Baron Chasse, c1830, has a similar border to the items above, but is still not a perfect match. NB the North East potteries produced vast quantities of wares for Northern European markets. Like the van Speyk plate (shown here), the plate below was made for export to the Netherlands.
The untransferred plate below with the Dixon Austin impress is a very good match for a sherd and is a strong contender for having been made at North Hylton.
