Redware And Pineapples

Hello my friends.

I cannot believe it is Christmas Eve.

Mom and I made a total

of 15 dozen Pierogi's.

Some will be eaten for our dinner tonight,

while others will be given to family

as a gift from my mom and I.

Today will be my last post for

the Christmas season.

Hoped you all enjoyed 

the colonial tour.

Remember my colonial desk.

Today I show you the rest

of my un-traditional look

 of our back room this year.

Orange and yellows. 

Today's final story is

about redware and pineapples.

First off the pineapple.

Most of this fruit

would be rotten

by the time it reached the colonies.

Only the fastest boats

in fair weather were able

to provide this precious cargo

to the colonists.

Because of this,

pineapple was only affordable

to the wealthy colonists.

A hostess who was able to set

out a pineapple in the middle

of her dining table 

showed her position in society.

Thus they were considered a sign

of the highest form of hospitality.

 Redware history.

Redware gained its popularity

with the English colonists

who created this type of pottery

from red clay. 

Depending on how much iron

was in the clay determined the color.

Before the Revolutionary War,

the colonists were considered inferior

potters to those in England,

thus did not make their own until

after the war.

After the war, they began creating 

their own redware with each region

having a different take on 

the designs they chose as the potters

did with blue slip crockery.

The most prolific potters were from

Pennsylvania with many utilizing

solids and multi colored glazes.

A classic Pennsylvania design was

the wavy yellow lines.

Redware was made from lead.

Potters used lead foil wrappers

that drinking tea was wrapped in at the time.

They melted the lead and added it to

the clay creating an affordable line

of plates, cups and other objects.

Being made so cheaply, housewives

flocked to purchase these goods.

However they were also poorly made,

quite breakable and very harmful

unknowingly to both the consumer and potter.

Redware pottery fell out of favor

in the late 19th century with the hand fired

kilns being replaced with modern day

furnaces of the time.

Well that does it for another year

of our holiday home tour.

I appreciate and thank all of you for following

along with me on my blog journey.

Bob and I want to wish you all a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I hope Santa 

gives you everything

 you wished for.

Redware And Pineapple Blessings To All!