Blue and Orange Spongeware Studs

Historical Information
Pattern: Simple floral bloom spongeware motif
Fabric / Body: White earthenware with clear glaze
Technique: Hand-painted spongeware
Date: c. 1870-1910
Likely Origin: Scotland or Northern England
Find Location: Colchester, Essex
Extra Information:
The bold burnt-orange petals paired with deep blue and
touches of green are highly typical of late 19th- to early 20th-
century spongeware, a form of decorated earthenware
produced widely in Scotland and the North of England and
popular across working-class households. Designs were applied
using natural sponges or cut sponge stamps dipped in coloured
enamel, creating soft edges and distinctive petal shapes that
vary slightly from piece to piece. Spongeware was valued for
its affordability, cheerful colours, and homemade charm.
Unlike transferware, it invited visible human touch - each
flower, dot, or leaf carrying the irregularities of hand
application. Because it was everyday tableware, pieces were
heavily used, chipped, broken, and ultimately discarded. Many
such fragments now surface on the Thames and in other
historic rubbish sites, representing domestic life in
Victorian and Edwardian homes.