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Yellowware or Yellow Ware Earthenware – what is it?
By admin | February 28, 2009
Yellowware is a type or sub-group of Earthenware. The body is relatively hard earthenware body and runs from pale buff to yellow in color. Yellowware was most popular from 1840 to 1900. Typically a lead glaze was used and yellowware was decorated with sponge prints, spattered color, and / or bands. Other designs ranged from ornate geometric designs, called sponge, to “mocha” an organic design that resembled seaweed or some form of plant life.
Some history of Yellowware:
Yellowware came to America from England early in the 19th century. Americans readily made room for yellowware in their households. Yellowware was much more durable than redware, and lighter and easier to handle then stoneware. From the 1830s until the 1940s, yellowware was found in most American kitchens. Yellowware is a ceramic fired from the fine yellow clay that lines riverbanks from New York to Ohio. Its color ranges from butter yellow to deep mustard, and it was popular due to its low cost and durability — it could even withstand the heat of a woodstove.
The first type of yellowware was plain yelloware, made with the clear lead glazes was created in a variety of kitchen and table utensils including bowls, plates, jugs and bottles.
Second was the Rockingham or Bennigton yellowware and typically made with a thick brown, mottled glaze and molded body. Rockingham was first produced for the American market by English potters from the Swinton District after 1788. Teapots were the primary items made, and the teapot body was molded of soft yellow paste.
American potters from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and particularly from the pottery center at Bennington, Vermont were producing large quantities of Yellowware by 1830. The body color can vary from cream to bright yellow. The rich color involved the mixture of manganese and sometimes umber to the glaze. Each factory had its own particular formula. The glaze was variously applied by dipping, brushing, sponging, or with a stick. Most pieces show a mottling effect. The most common technique for applying the glaze from 1847 through 1865 was by spattering or splashing it on with a paddle. The particular worker who was responsible for applying the glaze produced a unique effect satisfying his/her own aesthetic interests. The consequence is that while there may be patterns to the glaze at the level of the artisan, the factory, or perhaps the region, no two pieces of Rockingham or Bennington are exactly alike. This form was most popular from 1840 to 1900.
The last form of yellowware is often referred to as annular ware. It has a glazed surface decorated with bands or rings of white, blue, black, or brown. Occasionally, impressed patterns circle the vessel. Sometimes also, within wide, colored bands, there are vine-like patterns circling the exterior of the vessel. This distinctive treatment is called mocha. The colors of the band can be pink, blue, or green, but brown and black are most common. Annular decoration was produced by American potters from 1840 to 1900.
The traditional Yellowware’s glaze contains lead, so avoid using cracked pieces for food preparation. Even dishes in top condition should not be used for storing food in the refrigerator, or for preparing acidic foods, or for baking, because this may cause the lead to leach out of the glaze.
Topics: Dinnerware information, earthenware | No Comments »