Sea pottery

Sea pottery (also known as "sea china" or "sea porcelain" or "beach pottery") is pottery which is broken into worn pieces and shards and found on beaches along oceans or large lakes. Sea pottery has been tumbled and smoothed by the water and sand, creating small pieces of smooth, frosted pottery. It is often collected with more common sea glass by beachcombers.^[1]

Origins

Sea pottery originates from pottery, including earthenware, stoneware and porcelain which breaks into smaller pieces and is smoothed by the acidity and motion of an ocean or lake, the sand or grit polishes the edges like a natural tumbler. Much of the sea pottery in the United Kingdom and United States originated from discarded 18th and 19th century porcelain made in Europe and America^{[citation needed]}. Some sea pottery contains discernible patterns, such as flowers, figures, historic places and scenes, or hallmarks, factory stamps and dates which allow the pottery to be dated using pottery reference guides.^[2]

Uses

Sea pottery is often used in household decorations and furnishings as well as jewellery. Some enthusiasts fill jars with sea pottery to display. Because most sea pottery originates from turn of the 20th century ceramics (glass and ceramics were used more widely for consumables before plastic) it is becoming increasingly less common to find these pieces.

References

^ Richard LaMotte, "Pure Sea Glass," (Chestertown, MD: Sea Glass Publishing, 2004).
^ C.S. Lambert, Sea Glass Chronicles:whispers from the past, (Down East Book, Camden, ME: 2001)

External links

Palmer, Lisa (June 4, 2007). "Strolling the shore for sea glass". Fortune Small Business.
Koncius, Jura (August 11, 2005). "Look What the Tide Brought In". The Washington Post.

[1] Richard LaMotte, "Pure Sea Glass," (Chestertown, MD: Sea Glass Publishing, 2004).

[2] C.S. Lambert, Sea Glass Chronicles:whispers from the past, (Down East Book, Camden, ME: 2001)

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v t e Pottery and claywork
Glossary of pottery terms
Base minerals, and glazes	Bone ash China stone Clay Feldspar Frit Kaolinite Petuntse Slip Ash glaze Lead-glazed Lustreware Salt glazed Tin-glazed
Main types, by body	Asbestos-ceramic Earthenware Egyptian faience Fritware Ironstone Jasperware Porcelain hard-paste soft-paste Stoneware Terracotta
Forming techniques	Coiling Moulding Pinching RAM pressing Slip casting Wheel throwing
Processes and decoration	Biscuit firing biscuit porcelain Burnishing Firing Glazing Kiln Painting Pit fired Saggar Slipware Black-figure Black and red ware Blue and white Celadon Jorwe Kakiemon Malwa Northern Black Polished Ware Painted Grey Ware Rang Mahal Red-figure Sea pottery
Conservation	Conservation and restoration of ancient Greek pottery
History of pottery	Ancient Greece Ancient Rome China Pre-conquest Americas Japan Korea Maya Islamic Persia Delftware Faience Studio pottery list of potters Tilework