Artifact of the Week Series: The Diagnostics of Shell-Edged Ceramics

Catherine Losier
3 days ago
2 min read

Among the first finds of the season is a sherd of refined earthenware ceramic decorated with a shell-edged style (Figure 1). Shell-edged decorative techniques were commonly used on white earthenware plates and dishes by British potters from the mid-1700s, with their popularity waning around a century later. The sherd highlighted here could have been brought over by European settlers or merchants.

Fig 1. Piece of shell-edged ceramic found at Turpin’s Island

Shelled edges are found under the glaze on white ceramic dishes and can be a strong indicator of the manufacturing date. The colour and specific decoration style can also allow for further specification, as earlier shell-edges could be found in blue or green, and contained more intricate moulding and sometimes even motifs or embossed areas (Figue 2).

Fig. 2 Example of shell-edge (https://www.smu.ca/anthropology/anthropology-shell-edged-pearlware.html)

In contrast, later shell-edged ceramics were painted more simply, with the edge of the dish encircled with blue. Shell edges are found on pearlware, creamware, and whiteware ceramics, all of which have been uncovered in North American archaeological contexts. Each of these classifications contains its own distinct history and timespans of widespread popularity, and this can also aid in the dating of artifacts.

It is indeterminate whether this sherd of shell-edged ceramic uncovered at Turpin’s Island is pearlware or whiteware. Judging by the distinct pattern of scalloped lines within the blue paint on the sherd, this piece may be from the earlier years of the popularity of shell-edged ceramics, sometime between the mid-1700s to the early 1800s. The artifact’s journey to Turpin’s Island must have been a result of European contact with the island, perhaps from the travels of a group of fishermen. It could even be from the occupation of Newman & Co., a company established around the fishing industry, which was based on Turpin’s Island from 1784 to 1810.

Author: Taylor Ford