Blue and White Mudlarked Sherd Ring

Historical Information

Type: Blue and White Transferware
Fabric: White Earthenware
Date: Late 18th – 19th Century
Find Location: Essex, UK
Extra Information:
This fragment comes from a vessel decorated with cobalt blue transfer printing on a white earthenware body. Transferware was first developed in Staffordshire in the mid-18th century, when engravings on copper plates were printed onto thin paper and then transferred onto the surface of a ceramic before glazing. This innovation allowed potters to reproduce intricate designs quickly and cheaply, making decorated wares accessible to a far wider market than hand-painted porcelain.

Blue was by far the most popular colour, achieved with durable cobalt pigments that survived the high temperatures of firing. Designs often drew on Chinese export porcelain, with landscapes, pagodas, and floral borders adapted to British tastes, but also included romantic ruins, pastoral scenes, and commemorations of historic events.

By the 19th century, blue and white transferware was exported around the world and became a staple of Victorian households. Fragments like this are now commonly found in rivers, fields, and domestic waste sites, reflecting its enormous popularity and everyday use.