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Post-Colonial Ceramics
By Patricia Samford and George L. Miller

Many new varieties of pottery were introduced to Maryland between the American Revolution and the late 19th century.  The decorative techniques applied to these vessels can be used to distinguish the ceramic types, so this webpage is organized largely along those lines.
Example of a leather ornament Thumbnail image of an edgedware plate section, click on image and it will take you to introduction page for Edged Wares.
Edged Wares:
Shell-edged, or more generically, edged wares dating between 1790 and 1860, are characterized by molded rim motifs, usually painted under the glaze in blue or green on refined earthenwares.

 Example of a smoker's companion Thumbnail image of a printed ware plate (complete), click on image and it will take you to the introduction to Printed Wares.
Printed Wares:
Underglaze printing was first developed on English porcelain and began in Staffordshire around 1783 (Shaw 1829:214). Transfer printing revolutionized the Staffordshire ceramic industry.

Example of a bodkin Thumbnail image of a painted ware cup (complete), click on image and it will take you to the introduction to Painted Wares.
Painted Wares:
Refined, white-bodied English earthenware dating between 1775 and 1870s, decorated with underglaze painted motifs, either in blue or combinations of colors based on colors used, styles of the painting, and vessel shapes.

 Example of a bridle boss. Thumbnail image of a dipped ware vessel (complete), click on image and it will take you to the introduction to Dipped Wares.

Dipped Wares:
Dipped earthenwares were produced between the 1770s and the end of the 19th century (Rickard 2006, Carpentier and Rickard 2001). Since these wares almost never have maker’s marks, they are difficult to date accurately.

Example of cufflinks. Thumbnail image of a sponged ware vessel (complete), click on image and it will take you to the introduction to Sponged Wares.

Sponge Wares:
Wares with sponge decoration have a long history in England going back to delftwares. Sponge decorated wares were produced using several techniques over the period from the 1820s to 1930s.
Silver cross - example of one religious artifact. Thumbnail image of a luster ware pitcher, click on image and it will take you to the introduction to Luster Wares.

Luster Wares:
Luster wares have a very hard, lustrous, metallic finish.  Luster decoration has been used on earthenwares, stonewares and porcelain. The “peak of achievement” for lusterwares occurred around 1860, through the end of the 19th century.
Image of a relief molded gypsy valley jug. Thumbnail image of less commonly found wares, click on image and it will take you to the introduction to Less Commonly Found Wares.

Less Commonly Found Wares:
Post-colonial wares and decorative types less commonly recovered on archaeological sites. The webpages included here will provide you with a general description of these ceramics, including cited sources that can be read for more in-depth information.

 Image of a white granite paneled cup, which links you to the index page on White Granite Wares. Thumbnail image of a white granite cup, click on image and it will take you to the introduction to White Granite Wares.

White Granite:
The durable opaque stone china most commonly known as white ironstone (or white granite) was produced in England’s Staffordshire district and in the United States where it was most popular between 1840 and 1870. 
Image of group of North American stoneware forms - links to North American Stoneware essay. Image of group of North American stoneware forms - links to North American Stoneware essay. North American Stoneware:
North American stoneware is non-porous (vitrified) and stone-like. Paste color generally ranges from gray to tan to reddish browns, and vessels were produced by a variety of methods, including hand throwing, jigger or jolly machines, slip casting and press molding.