earthenware

Roman head

Earthenware is the oldest type of pottery dating back to the 7th century B.C. and is fired at a relatively low temperature between 600 C and 1100 C. Its colour is that of the clay which is used as it is dug strait from the ground and is porous to liquids therefore it requires to be glazed though early attempts at waterproofing were made by burnishing the surface with a stone. Early decoration was either by incising or by painting washes of coloured slips onto the body. The glazes used are of lead giving a fairly transparent glaze or of tin giving an opaque white glaze i.e. tin-glazed earthenware.

Earthenware was produced in Britain from medieval times onwards initially with a lead glaze but later, from about the end of the 15th century, tin glazed wares were introduced which became more popular until in the 18th century creamware was invented. With its highly refined cream body covered with a thin layer of lead glaze creamware soon became more popular and remained so until the start of the 19th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries pottery decorated with a trailed slip decoration was very popular and in some instances, probably for the first time on earthenware in Britain, the potters name is marked on the piece.

In the 19th century brightly coloured lead glazes started to be used on earthenware and in the middle of the century majolica ware was introduced. The word majolica is a corruption of maiolica after the wares they were at first trying to emulate. These vibrant pieces were produced by many factories throughout the 19th century but notably Minton and George Jones are known for the quality of their wares. Later in the 19th century similar bright glazes were being applied to much of the Art pottery made popular by factories such as C. H. Brannam, Linthorpe, Ault, Aller Vale and Burmantofts etc.

In the 20th century earthenware has been and is still being used by many studio potters including Bernard Leach, Michael Cardew, Reginald Wells and many more.