Shagreen Pattern Mudlarked Sherd Pendant

Historical Information

Type: Blue and White Shagreen Pattern Sherd

Fabric: Earthenware

Date: 1930's

Find Location: Essex, UK

Extra information:

Royal Worcester, one of England's most esteemed porcelain manufacturers, occasionally experimented with decorative surface techniques that mimicked luxurious materials, including shagreen—a textured finish originally derived from shark or ray skin. Though not a widespread production line, Worcester's adaptation of the shagreen effect appears in select early 20th-century pieces, particularly in coffee wares and decorative ceramics.

These featured finely mottled glazes, often in rich hues like green or blue, designed to echo the exoticism and opulence associated with shagreen leather in Art Deco interiors. The technique reflects both Worcester's innovation and the broader trend in British ceramics of imitating rare textures through glaze work. This sherd, with its distinct blue mottling and subtle texture, offers a tangible fragment of that decorative legacy.