Floral Border Mudlarked Sherd Pendant

Historical Information

Object: Victorian Aesthetic Movement Floral Border Plate
Fabric / Body: White earthenware with clear glaze
Technique: Black underglaze transfer print with fine
stippling and a neoclassical scroll border
Date: c. 1860-1890
Likely Origin: Staffordshire, England
Find location: Essex Coast

Extra Information:
Black transferware - now less common than blue - had a
surge of popularity in the mid- to late-19th century.
Potteries in the Staffordshire region (such as Wedgwood,
Ridgway, Brownhills, and J. & G. Meakin) produced
thousands of patterns combining botanical sprays with
ornamental borders, exactly like the one on your sherd. The
fine stippling on the petals and the delicate scroll-and-leaf
border show the work of a high-quality transfer engraver.
These designs were sold across Victorian Britain as part of
everyday dinner and tea services, often for middle-class
homes. The heavy crazing suggests the glaze absorbed
moisture over many decades - very typical of vessels
were well used before disposal.