The World of British Stoneware

Book excerpt: For nearly three hundred years, from the late seventeenth to the middle twentieth century, stoneware was a major part of British ceramic output. This book concentrates on that particular area of ceramics, and covers the history and development of stoneware in all its many variations. Those variations range widely from brown salt-glazed tavern wares to such refined wares as jasper, Castleford ware and the later art wares, to name a few. A specific aspect of the book is to give anyone interested in ceramics, and collectors in particular, very comprehensive information on the manufacture of the different types of stoneware, from the preparation of the clay, or body, through the forming, decorating and glazing techniques to the firing. Such is likely to provide a greater appreciation and understanding of stoneware in its many variations.There are separate chapters on the later art wares and their makers, bottle wares, and marks and identification, as well as an appendix listing manufacturers, a comprehensive glossary and a list of museums. The illustrations cover a wide range of types. Many books on ceramics include information on stoneware, but this in-depth book benefits from the experience of a writer who is both a collector and ex-potter.