Creamware

Creamware

Creamware was a cream-coloured English earthenware of the second half of the 18th century.  Staffordshire potters were experimenting in order to find a substitute for Chinese porcelain and about 1750 produced a fine white earthenware with a rich yellowish glaze; light in body with a clean glaze - it proved ideal for domestic ware.

  The cream colour was considered a fault at the time, and Wedgwood introduced a white to bluish white product called pearl ware in 1779. It was produced for nearly a century. Creamware, however, continued to be made throughout the 19^th century and later.

It was Josiah Wedgwood who made a great commercial success with this cheap, utilitarian ware, which he made at Burslem from about 1762.

Wedgwood also attracted the patronage of Queen Charlotte, who allowed him to adopt the name Queen's ware. His most considerable effort was a creamware dinner service of 952 pieces supplied to Catherine II the Great of Russia in 1775.

Wedgwood Creamware Gravy Boat and Saucer in the 
"Stratford" Pattern. The Gravy and saucer are attached. 
The saucer is 9 1/2" long and the top of the
gravy is 8" to the top of the handle. 
The piece is a total of 3 3/4" high. The pattern has a border of green ivy.

An enormous creamware soup tureen. 
It is 19th century. It is 16 inches wide and just over 12 inches tall. 
 It is from the Zell ceramic atelier in Zell Germany 
and was produced after 1818 and before 1869.

questions / comments? email Steve Birks steveb@netcentral.co.uk