Cobalt Glazed Mudlarked Sherd Pendant

Historical Information
Type: Cobalt-glazed Tableware Fragment
Fabric: White Earthenware
Date: Mid–Late 19th Century
Find Location: Essex, UK
Extra Information:
This pendant is made from a fragment of Victorian tableware decorated with a rich cobalt-blue glaze. The even depth of colour suggests it was once part of the rim or body of a plate, saucer, or serving dish, where blue panels or dipped borders were a fashionable feature. Such glazes were achieved using cobalt oxide, prized for its intensity and resistance to fading in the kiln.

Cobalt blue was one of the most popular colours in 19th-century ceramics, used both in patterned transferware (“flow blue”) and in plain glazed bands that added elegance to everyday wares.

Produced mainly in the Staffordshire potteries, these striking blue-and-white pieces were exported around the world, becoming a staple of Victorian households. Even as a fragment, the sherd captures the simplicity and enduring beauty of cobalt glaze.