Transferware
Norman found glazed and unglazed tableware sherds in considerable numbers decorated with coloured transfers. In a number of cases, sherds can be matched with complete examples with Dixon marks. Baker writes that, 'the bulk of production from the Wearside potteries in the 19th century consisted of dinner services and tea-sets in white earthenware. This is not often realised because such ware was made to be used, was often broken and thrown away. Consequently very little has survived to the present. By contrast the famous Sunderland pink/purple lustreware was normally used for decorative purposes only and a high proportion has remained intact. The abundance of Sunderland lustre gives the mistaken impression that this product and not transfer-printed tableware formed the greater part of the output of Wearside potteries'.
The sherds on this page have underglaze blue, red or black transfer designs. There's a very good reason for that. The attrition rate of pots was highest in the first two firings, which were at the highest temperatures (biscuit 950-1060°C and glost 1200°C). After the glost firing, items were tough and durable and much less likely to break. This helps explain the absence of overglaze transfers and lustreware on these pages. Those techniques were employed to durable glazed pottery and fired at a lower temperature (700–800°C), so breakages were scarce. Of course, in the absence of pink-lustre sherds on the site, we can't prove that such wares were made at North Hylton. However, the huge quantities of plain glazed and unglazed white pottery show that the majority of decorative techniques employed at the site were applied after the glost firing and, given what we know of the Wearside potteries, that would very likely have included pink lustre.
The sherds on this page have underglaze blue, red or black transfer designs. There's a very good reason for that. The attrition rate of pots was highest in the first two firings, which were at the highest temperatures (biscuit 950-1060°C and glost 1200°C). After the glost firing, items were tough and durable and much less likely to break. This helps explain the absence of overglaze transfers and lustreware on these pages. Those techniques were employed to durable glazed pottery and fired at a lower temperature (700–800°C), so breakages were scarce. Of course, in the absence of pink-lustre sherds on the site, we can't prove that such wares were made at North Hylton. However, the huge quantities of plain glazed and unglazed white pottery show that the majority of decorative techniques employed at the site were applied after the glost firing and, given what we know of the Wearside potteries, that would very likely have included pink lustre.
Bird's Nest
Below, unglazed sherds with the 'Bird's Nest' pattern. These are usually marked Dawson, and were also made by Scott's. However, the saucer below has an impressed mark used by North Hylton. The unglazed sherd is from a teacup like the one below.
A different version of the transfer was used to fit the saucer. Compare the unglazed sherd from the teacup (top left below) with a glazed sherd from a saucer (top centre below). Again, minor differences between the saucer sherd and the detail from a saucer with a North Hylton mark (top right below) suggest that there may have been multiple transfers of the subject in use on plates and saucers.
Dog Rescue
Although this transfer, of a dog rescuing a small child from drowning, has not yet been found on a sherd, the distinctive border of the plate matches several found at North Hylton.
Donkey
I don't yet know the pattern name so have provisionally titled it 'donkey'. If anyone can improve on that, please get in touch.
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It's interesting to see how the underglaze blue changes in appearance during the glost firing. This second firing is done at a higher temperature, causing the glaze to melt and fuse with the clay, creating a waterproof surface. The near right sherd is biscuit fired (no glaze), and the one beside is a similar piece after glazing and glost firing.
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The matching tea bowl below has an elaborate printed mark for Dixon, Austin & Co.
Dresden Opaque China
Below, Dresden wares printed in black. Compare the border on the teacup and saucer with the sherd above it. The eel plate (centre below) is marked Dixon Austin & Co.
Flowers and trellis border
Floral wares with an as-yet unidentified pattern name. The second in particular is a collage of bits of transfer designed for a larger plate. This improvised approach, seen often on pink-lustre items, is what gives North East pottery its great charm, and can make the neat perfection of perfectly aligned transfers on Staffordshire items feel a little lifeless by comparison.
Milkmaid and Shepherd
Although not quite a match for the transfer on the teapot, the sherd below confirms that this pattern was made on the North Hylton site. NB Dixon Austin operated on two sites and it's possible that this pattern was also made at the Garrison Pottery. So a Dixon Austin mark does not guarantee an item was made at North Hylton.
Although again not a perfect match for the sherd above, an eel plate in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection.
Oriental Sports
Both these items have the triangular impressed mark found on sherds at North Hylton.
Reife Trauben
We know that a huge part of the output of North East potteries was destined for export to Northern Europe. Below a plate with the German title, 'Reife Trauben', which means 'ripe grapes'. It is another match for the distinctive border found on several unglazed sherds. Beside it another untitled plate from the same series in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection. Both plates are impressed 'Dixon, Austin & Co.
Shepherdess
Tea Party
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'Tea Party' was a common pattern found on North East pottery (and elsewhere) and creamware variations exist from the late 18th century onwards. The complete plate shown below is not from North Hylton, but rather from down river at Moore's Wear Pottery in Southwick, Sunderland.
Some of the North Hylton sherds (see far right detail) significantly differ in design from the Moore version (near right). They've been included here because of similarity of the border. |
Photo Norman Lowe
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Top right below, an unglazed sherd showing the male participant's head. Beneath it, a sherd with section of the woman's chair.
Below are many small sherds of border. It might be possible to match some of these if a marked Dixon Austin item ever appears.
Wild Rose
Many potteries produced tea ware with variations of this common Wild Rose pattern. The complete example below is unmarked and unlikely to have originated from Dixon, Austin & Co. However, the sherd shows that a variation of this pattern was made at North Hylton.
Willow pattern and Chinoiserie
A sherd from the base of a tureen and a marked lid shown for comparison. NB this mark does not match any found at the North Hylton site.
Below an unglazed 'biscuit' shard and a glazed portion of a Willow plate, shown above a similar complete item with the Dixon Austin impress.
Below two sherds with a butterfly motif in the border. This is a variation of a border found on Dixon-Austin marked plates with a large pavilion or temple to the left. As neither the particular pattern nor the marks on the complete items shown below match sherds from North Hylton, we can't say with certainty they were made at that site (they could have been produced at the Sunderland Pottery's other site, the Garrison Pottery).
Below two under-glaze Chinoiserie transfers on North Hylton sherds. Again, neither is a close match for the complete items above (see centre detail).
Red transferware
One of the most frequently encountered decorated sherds has a triangular edge pattern that has not yet been identified (see last two images below).
Black transferware
The top row of images have something resembling an egg and dart border that frequently appears on sherds from the site. The next two sherds have a classical key pattern border.
Australian – Dixon, Phillips & Co
I've included these at the end of the page as they are the latest datable transfers found at the site (van Speyk, c1831, being the earliest). The Dixon, Phillips & Co partnership ran from 1839. The sherds below presumably postdate 1838, although no sherds with either printed or impressed marks from this later partnership have been retrieved from the site.
Below, two tureen bases with different central transfers and maker's marks. Both have the printed 'Dixon Phillips & Co' 'Australian' pattern marks. The first has an indistinct impressed mark, presumably 'Dixon, Phillips & Co' and the second the anchor mark used by that partnership. Below left, a photo of a complete tureen and stand.
Below, a large meat platter with the transfer. See another similar on page 26 of Baker. Interestingly, all the complete examples recorded have brown transfers. The sherds retrieved from the North Hylton site have green or red transfers.
