Ceramics home: Post medieval earthenware: London-area redware.

London-area redware

(1580 - 1900)

During the 16th and 17th centuries, much of the basic, everyday domestic pottery used in the homes of Londoners of all classes came from local potteries that made coarse, glazed, red earthenwares. A number of production centres dating from the late 15th to early 18th centuries have been excavated, forming part of a very long tradition of pot-making in the London area which dates back at least to the end of the 11th century. At the end of the 15th century it appears that the manufacture of Surrey whitewares began to be displaced by the increasing production of red earthenwares at a number of centres close to London, notably Kingston-upon-Thames and Cheam. Excavations at Woolwich Ferry and Deptford, in south London, uncovered evidence for major industries that operated, between them, from at least the late 16th into the 18th century. Together, these two sites at Woolwich and Deptford provide the some of the most substantial evidence to date for the manufacture of everyday red earthenwares anywhere in the immediate vicinity of the capital. The redware potters made not only plain and glazed red earthenwares, but also a range of vessels with zones of white slip and either clear or copper-stained green glaze, although these were going out of fashion over the course of the 17th century. It may well be that the inspiration to use white slip in this way originally came from the Netherlands in the 16th century, at a time when Low Countries influence on London potters was strong.

London's local redware industry was in firm possession of its own, sizeable share of the capital¿s ceramic market throughout the 17th century and beyond. As with all the other major pottery industries in south-east England which supplied London and relied on it for much of their livelihood and continued well-being, the redware potteries specialised and so were able successfully to maintain their hold on the market.

Related objects

There are 156 related objects.

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A10396 pot; bird pot. 1580-1700	6124 money box. 1580-1900	A19224 dish; double dish. 1480-1650	24320 jug. 1480-1600
20862 pot; watering pot. 1480-1650	17274 pot; watering pot. 1480-1650	5886 jug. 1480-1600	5874 jug. 1480-1650
5799 jug. 1480-1650	5787 jug. 1480-1650	5739 jug. 1480-1600	5736 jug. 1480-1600
80.93/33 jug. 1480-1650	80.93/30 pot; watering pot. 1480-1600	80.93/19 jug. 1480-1650	77.182/10 pot; watering pot. 1480-1650
29.163/19 jug. 1480-1600	27.30/3 jug. 1480-1600	A28247 jug. 1480-1600	A17981 jug. 1480-1600
A13852 pot; watering pot. 1480-1650	A10905 jug. 1480-1650	A5043 pot; watering pot. 1480-1600	A4935 jug. 1480-1650

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