White Ironstone

My dear friend 

Maureen

asked me if I would blog

about collecting 

white ironstone.

I have a lot of it,

as you know,

but I bought it 

originally because 

I love its simplicity.

For me, 

a collection of white ironstone, 

without 

patterns or color to distract the eye,

 becomes an artful grouping

of forms and shapes.

Some silhouettes

are round and shapely,

yet others angular and rigid.

One plays against the other

creating positive 

and negative spacing ---

depending on 

the composition

of the collection.

But not only is it 

pretty to collect,

or to hold flowers or fruit,

it is wonderful 

for serving food.

Food looks best 

on a white plate,

in my opinion.

White ironstone

is

not only collectible --- 

it's sturdy,

reliable,

and 

simply elegant

in its own way.

Below you will find  

 information on 

the history of white ironstone

for those of you 

who wish to know more.

Here is what 

Martha Stewart wrote about

early British makers of

white ironstone in her magazine

in 1993: 

"Ironstone dates to the early 1800s; the name and its formula, 

containing the mineral feldspar, were patented in 1813 by 

Charles Mason of Staffordshire, England. Ironstone decorated 

with colorful patterns was an immediate success in England, but 

the white-glazed variety has little official history there because 

virtually all of it was made for export to Europe, Australia, and the US.

By the 1830s, enterprising British potters recognized a potential 

market among rural American families buying china for the first time. 

They put together services of snowy-white ironstone, predicting 

that its simplicity and affordability would appeal to the no-frills 

aesthetic associated with American country life. These pieces, 

given names such as graniteware, stoneware, pearl china, or 

feldspar china, are now all categorized as ironstone.

  White ironstone patterns fall into distinct periods. The earliest, 

called gothic or primary, date from the 1830s to 1840s and comprise

 paneled hexagonal or octagonal shapes. More rounded forms 

emerged in the 1860s, including harvest patterns decorated 

with relief-molded berries or sheaves of wheat. After 1860, 

bulbous, highly ornamental designs combined ribs with leaves 

and flowers, and from 1880 on, ironstone reverted to plainer forms, 

often unadorned except for the handles or finials.

The once ubiquitous and affordable ironstone is now highly 

coveted by collectors and therefore expensive. A teapot might 

sell for $350 and a soap dish for $200. Its quality is based on 

the evenness of the color and the crispness of the relief work. 

All edges, finials, and handles should be chip-free and un-repaired. 

The cost of a piece depends on its maker, pattern, condition, 

and rarity, as well as where it is being sold."

Martha Stewart Living, Volume 12 February/March 1993

Here is what Wikipedia 

reports about the later

American versions 

of white ironstone:

In the United States, ironstone ware was being manufactured 

from the 1850s onward. The earliest American ironstone 

potters were in operation around Trenton, New Jersey

Before this, white ironstone ware was imported to the 

United States from England, beginning in the 1840s. 

Undecorated tableware was most popular in the US, and 

British potteries produced white ironstone ware, known as 

"White Ironstone" or "White Granite" ware, for the American 

market. During the mid-19th century it was the largest export 

market for Staffordshire's potteries. In the 1860s, British 

manufacturers began adding agricultural motifs, such as 

wheat, to their products to appeal to the American market. 

These patterns became known as "farmers' china" or "thrashers' china". 

Plain white ironstone ware was fashionable in the US until the end 

of the 19th century. 

This excerpt was taken 

from a site called:

thepotteries.org

"... in the 1870's and 1880's, several American potters began to make white "granite ware." Several potteries were situated in New Jersey, including City Pottery in Trenton, other potteries were also established near East Liverpool, Ohio, including Knowles, Taylor & Knowles and Homer Laughlin & Co. Most of the ironstone produced in the US had simpler shapes than the English imports which were still preferred by Americans.  In an attempt to sell more of their wares, most American potteries did not mark their wares, and some used marks that resembled the British Royal Arms. As people became more confident in purchasing American made ware there was a transition from the British Royal Arms to the use of the American Eagle - below are examples of the Royal Arms and also the American Eagle form the same potter - John Moses. Homer Laughlin & Co even used a mark which depicted the American Eagle attacking the English Lion.

 

 

Notable 19th century Ironstone manufacturers 

in the US include:

Empire Pottery

Onondaga Pottery 

Syracuse China

Walter Scott Lenox

Homer Laughlin

If you would like to learn more, 

you can always contact the

white ironstone ironstone china association 

by linking below:

whiteironstonechina.com