How do I clean old pottery safely?

Dust these fragile ceramic pieces gently with a soft, dry brush and avoid submerging items with old repairs or unglazed areas in water. Moisture can penetrate porous earthenware bodies and destabilise historical adhesives or mineral deposits accrued over centuries.

What is tin-glazed earthenware?

Tin-glazed earthenware is pottery covered in a lead glaze made opaque by the addition of tin oxide, creating a white background. Potters painted directly onto this absorbent surface with metal oxides before a final kiln firing fixed the design.

How can I tell Dutch Delft from Chinese porcelain?

Dutch Delft uses a softer earthenware body covered in an opaque white tin glaze, whereas Chinese pieces consist of a dense, vitrified porcelain body. Examining the unglazed foot rim usually reveals the lighter, coarser clay of European earthenware compared to the hard, white paste of porcelain.

Were these items used daily?

Many objects, such as slipware jugs and posset pots, served practical functions in domestic households and taverns for serving food and drink. Conversely, large chargers and delicate porcelain vases were primarily intended for display on walls or sideboards to signal wealth.