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Doing a pottery class
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One noteworthy offering on the Summers Cottage Etsy page has been a rare 12 piece set of late 19th century Adams China-produced ironstone Doctor Syntax plates. These Victorian styled items feature pictures taken from a popular book of the era, The Tour of Doctor Syntax. Like Norman Rockwell in America, they portray representative scenes of everyday life.
Adams China Co. stands as one of England’s preeminent pottery houses, with its establishment in Staffordshire in the 17th century coming at the height of British interest in floral and geometric designs taken from the Orient. The manufacturer focused on cookware, white pottery, and ironstone, with William Adams working closely with Wedgwood as it developed its storied basalt and jasperware clay formulas.
The ironstone formulation was an Adams innovation that resulted in a pottery that was more chip resistant and durable than its earthenware predecessor. Adams remained a major force in UK giftware until the 1970s, when it refocused on hotelware, and this lasted until the closing of its factory in the 1990s. Today, its pieces are still highly valued by collectors, with particularly iconic designs including the “Elgin,” “Impress,” and “Crown.
