Enchanted with White Ironstone

In my earlier days as a mere newbie blog voyeur, I was visiting Cindy over at My Romantic Home and she was sharing her collection of ironstone on Faded Charms' White Wednesday blog party. So anywho, I was dumbstruck and in awe. At that moment I finally had a name to some of my great-grandmother's china. I just knew that they were white or cream in color and were a bit heavier than some of her other china. Now I had a name to what this type of pottery was called. Then to see how Cindy had it all displayed so fabulously in one place made me, of course, want more. So immediately I started to add on to my great-grandmother Helen's wonderful collection. Let's look at a few of the pieces I have collected and cherished.

During the early 19th century, a new type of stoneware was introduced in England by the Staffordshire potters. These folks were looking for a cheaper way to mass produce pottery that sort of looked like porcelain, but, well, wasn't. What they ended up with was a product that was a durable stoneware. 

Ironstone is also known as stoneware, graniteware, tea leaf and a host of other names. With its clay body, this type of china is generally opaque as opposed to translucent like porcelain. There are several fabulous manufacturers of ironstone such as Mason, Spode, Delph, and few others. My two favorites are Staffordshire (Liberty Blue Ironstone) and Red Cliff. When it comes to white ironstone my favorite is Red Cliff. This beautiful tureen, with embossed grapes is a Red Cliff piece. I really took a fancy to the raised grapes. 

 Look closely and you will see the embossed grapes. 

Red Cliff ironstone china dinnerware adds so much elegance to a table.

 I chose the salad plates with the embossed grapes for the dining room table. 

Speaking of grapes, I placed them inside a two-sided ironstone gravy boat on the dining room table. I get more use out of the piece as a place to hold healthy snacks than as an actual gravy boat. The only time actual gravy goes in this piece is at Thanksgiving time. As they say "A minute on the lips and life time on the hips." 

I had heard of the many adventures of people finding china, especially ironstone, at thrift stores. Much to my surprise, I walked into Goodwill one day and there she was...waiting for me to pick her up and take her home for $2.00. She doesn't have her lid but I use her two ways. Beautiful flowers look so pretty inside at the breakfast table. I don't use her as a coffee pot (since she doesn't have a lid). Instead I use her as a tall teapot. I put hot water inside and serve a mean cup of tea. 

I can't believe someone donated that ironstone coffee pot to the Goodwill. Behind the pot and the chinese tea cup is a rectangular ironstone tray that ways a ton. I love to serve appetizers on that tray.

White ironstone comes in a myriad of shades of creamy white and I love them all. The teacup-for-one is a creamier shade of white than the soup tureen on the right. The small tray holding the rainier cherries is a much whiter white. They look wonderful in front of the Italian clay pottery pieces.

Thank you for taking a sneak peak at a few of my favorite pieces of ironstone! Stick around and I may show you my Staffordshire Liberty Blue ironstone collection one day.

Come back next week for a super cool giveaway of one the porcelain pitchers with raised roses featured on our blog post Ebony and Ivory.  

This week we are partying with the following fabulous folks:

DebbieDoo's Newbie Party @ DebbieDoo's

It's Party Time @ It's So Very Cheri

Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle

Sunday Blog Love @ Cherished Treasures 

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage
Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wow us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Time to Shine @ A Diamond in the Stuff

Inspired by you Wednesdays @ Eisy Morgan

Anything Goes @ Type A

White Wednesday @Faded Charm

Transformation Thursday@The Shabby Creek Cottage

Time Travel Thursday @ The Brambleberry Cottage

Pearls and Lace Thursday @ Faith, Grace, & Crafts

Open House Party @ On Sutton Place

Club G.W. @ Charm Bracelet Diva

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday @ Primp

Tea Time Thursdays @ Kreative Korner

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense

Farmhouse Friday @ LaurieAnna's Vintage Home

Before Blogging Throwback Thursdays @ Sugar & Spice in the land of Balls & Sticks