I have always admired the intricate patterns and details on all of the ceramic shards that have washed in on my beach for years.  This year however, curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to do a little detective work and undertake the daunting task of researching the patterns on these shards.  It is definitely not easy, as there were so many hundreds of china patterns over hundreds of years that were produced, and usually all I have to work from is a shard that is less than the size of a dime.  Many shards cannot be traced simply because they do not show enough detail.  However, some shards (on a very lucky day), can actually be placed back to a pattern.

The most common pieces that I find are from the "Blue Willow" dinnerware pattern, and the "shell edge" design.  After doing some research, this is what I have discovered about the two patterns:

Blue Willow:

The Blue Willow pattern was created nearly 200 years ago, and remains one of the most popular dinnerware patterns today.

Here is the Blue Willow story: This dinnerware pattern tells a Chinese legend about two lovebirds.  The father of the girl forbade the match, and imprisoned his daughter in the family palace.  She eventually escaped, and joined her lover who was waiting at the harbour with a boat, and together, they escaped, only to have the boat capsize and both of them drown.  According to legend, two lovebirds, representing the spirits of the two deceased lovers, soared above the wreck.

Below is an intact Blue Willow pattern:

The Blue Willow pattern is characterized with a beautiful scene filled will rolling hills, trees, pagodas, three men fishing in a stream off a bridge, a ship, a fence, and finally, two lovebirds (the 2 deceased lovers), facing each other at the very top of the plate.  This story is told right on the plate pattern!

The photo below shows some of the shards that I have found that I can trace back to the Blue Willow pattern.  Although it is difficult to tell in the small picture, you can see Blue Willow's signature trim along with a pagoda on the large shard on the left, beside that another piece of a pagoda from a different plate/dish, a tree on another, and the 3 men fishing are just barely visible at the bottom of the shard at the very top centre.

Shell Edge:

Another popular design in ceramics was called the "shell edge".  This design is one of the most long-lived ceramic styles ever created in England.  This dinnerware design was created in the 1700's, and became on of England's most popular ceramic patterns.  The purpose of the shell edge was to focus the eye on the food rather than the design of the plate.  This pattern was exported in large quantities in the late 1800's and early 1900's, with blue and green being the most popular colour choices.

Below are some different shards that I have found with the shell edge design: 

Fiestaware:

My favourite shard that I can trace was found a few years back, and is from the original "Fiestaware" line of dinnerware.  Fiestaware was created by the Homer Laughlin Company in 1935 using the Art Deco style of design.  These simple dishes were the most successful and sought-after line of dinnerware produced by Homer Laughlin, (probably because after the Great Depression, people were in the mood for something bright, cheery, and affordable)!

Fiestaware shards are rather easy to identify because of their bright, solid colours, and those signature concentric rings sculpted in the base of every dish.

Originally, Fiestaware was produced in only 6 solid colours, but these were discontinued in 1972 when Fiesta production ceased.  In 1986, Fiestaware was re-introduced with an entirely new colour line.

Colour is a telltale sign in dating Fiesta shards.  If you are lucky enough to find a shard in one of the original six colours, you can be sure that it was made sometime between 1935 and 1972. 

The shard shown below is red, one of the "Original Six" colours of Fiesta.  Fiestaware red is the rarest colour to find, as it was the most expensive colour to produce, the most expensive to buy, and therefore, the least popular choice for the thrifty Depression-era population.  During wartime in 1943, the U.S. Government took over control of uranium oxide, which was a key ingredient in making Fiesta red, and subsequently, the colour was dropped from Fiesta's line in 1943.  It was re-introduced in 1959, but never re-gained its popularity, as rumours swirled that the red coloured glaze used in its production was radioactive.  Incredibly, this rumour still persists today!  Perhaps Homer Laughlin should rename this colour to "Radioactive Red"!    :)   

Note the telltale Fiesta characteristics on the shard above: concentric rings, and its orangish-red signature colour.

Well, that is all that I have discovered so far, but I will continue to add to this guide as soon as I discover any more interesting tidbits about the shards that I find... stay tuned! :)

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