For many of us, the morning ritual doesn’t begin when we wake up or get out of bed- it only truly begins when we have our tea or coffee. Regardless of whether your morning brew comes from a Brown Betty, goes into a ceramic mug that says “Keep Calm and Carry On,” or involves milk and sugar from pieces of Royal Albert, it is responsible for getting us ready to face the day. Though the hot beverage and the routine may be commonplace to us, the often overlooked serving vessels themselves have, throughout history, been considered to be one of the building blocks of all civilization.
In addition to simply being a place where a potter works, pottery itself encompasses all fired vessels, from earthenware to stoneware and even porcelain. While individual pottery objects have been found that date back to at least 25,000 BC, pottery vessels- very similar to that mug you’re currently holding- date back to 20,000 BC, which predates the earliest forms of writing by 14,000 years. Aside from simply being a functional object, pottery has also provided a medium for artistic expression, such as with Ming Chinese pottery, as well as a valuable window into cultural development, such as with Ancient Greek pottery.
British pottery
Here in the UK, it’s impossible to think of pottery without thinking of Stoke-on-Trent, which was one of the first modern industrial cities and has been home to some of the biggest names in pottery, like Wedgwood, Spode, Minton, etc. Though the local industry has, like the rest of British manufacturing, faced a substantial decline, from 200 companies in the 1970s to about 30 companies today, the re-emerging popularity and importance of products that are handmade in the UK or earth-friendly materials are a boon for British pottery.
Originally, the word pottery comes from the Old French term poterie, which is a derivative of the Old French word for potter, potier. Arriving in English in the late 15th century, pottery is first mentioned in 1480s Table Prouffytable Lernynge, which reads, “Pots of earth, Cans of earth For to go the water, These things shall ye find In the pottery.” In An Account of the Isle of Man, William Sacheverell writes in 1702 that, “The new Pottery is a pretty Curiosity, set up by Mr. Smith the present Sovereign, and his Predecessor Captain Leathes.” Finally, speaking to the differentiating grades of English pottery in The Insanity of Genius, John F. Nisbet states that, “Pottery, when he [sc. Wedgwood] took it up, was a rude and barbarous manufacture; he raised it to the dignity of an art.”
So, whether you’re drinking from a high quality piece of art or a plain white ceramic cup, maybe it’s time to consider the cup itself, and not just the contents.
