Artefact of the Week Series: Fibre-Design Find

Ceramics are a common find at Turpin’s Island. For today’s artefact of the week, we are going to look at some early 20th-century sherds with a “fibre” pattern! These ceramics have a white base and a blue pattern that resembles tree branches. It was first designed in England and became popular in the United States and Canada. 

Fig. 1 The Fibre ceramics found this week at Turpin’s Island

The intricate design seems like it would take a steady hand to paint, but it was actually printed onto the ceramics. This was done using a technique known as transfer printing, which began in England during the 18^th century and is still used today. It works by covering an engraved metal plate in ink, then stamping it onto paper. The paper is carefully pressed onto an unfired ceramic, and when it is glazed and fired, the design becomes permanently sealed into the pottery. Transfer printing allowed manufacturers to cheaply mass-produce ceramics featuring popular designs, which made expensive-looking dishes more accessible to lower classes and to people across a wider region. It is not unsurprising to find ceramics like this in the field, especially considering the amount that were produced. It is no wonder they were so popular, because they really are beautiful to look at!

Fig. A complete plate featuring the Fibre design. (Source: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1683455755/antique-globe-pottery-company-ltd)

Finding artefacts from the 20^th century at Turpin’s Island really drives home not only how long it was occupied, but also how recently it was, especially when we look at them next to other artefacts from the region’s 500-year history! They connect us to a past that still exists in living memory.

Author: William Chafe

References:

2024. A History of China and Glass at Woolworth’s. https://www.woolworthsmuseum.co.uk/hg-chinaglass.htm. 

Davis, Ariel. 2022. What is Transferware China? The Brooklyn Teacup. https://thebrooklynteacup.com/blogs/blog/what-is-transferware-china.