Hand Painted Whiteware Rim Sherd

3D Model

Hand Painted Whiteware (Possible Plate or Saucer)

Rim Sherd (burned rim)

By: William Drumm (Public History Intern), Marcus Lastname (Volunteer), Andrew Carter (Curator of Collections)

This sherd was recovered from UWG’s campus in 1998 as part of an archaeological fieldschool that sought to investigate the Bonner Plantation and the original location of the “Bonner House.”

Whiteware ceramics, like this rim sherd, were first developed in England around 1810 and by the mid-19th century could be considered the most familiar earthenware in the U.S. (and remains common to this day!). Whiteware ceramics are characteristically stark white and their glazes are typically clear (though some color may be visible in areas that sees the glaze pooling). There are a number methods used to decorate the surfaces of whiteware ceramics. Here, we see part of a floral motif that was hand painted using a cobalt-oxide underglaze. The edge of the rim also appears to have been burned. Take a look!