Flowing Blue Spatter Plate According to Robacker, Flowed Spatter is an overall decoration, normally on both sides of the individual pieces. In this subset of Spatterware, "the spattering takes place first, then the flowing comes afterward as the heat of the kiln dissolves some of the dots of the applied pigment" as explained by the Robackers in Spatterware and Sponge. While the brown ware called Rockingham was made in great quantities both here and abroad, the blue, which was far less common seems to be a strictly American product . . . thus the name Blue Rockingham is sometimes applied to this ware. The dots of the applied pigment and their subsequent flowing in the kiln are clearly discernable leaving no doubt that this is in fact rightly called Flowing Blue Spatter. Speculation as to how the blue was applied ranges from whether it may have been sponged, paddle-spattered, applied with a pepper shaker or blown on. In the brown Rockingham, the brown color is inherent in the glaze itself so the manner of manufacture is different. Long time residents of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania have made positive statements to the effect that this blue-mottled ware was indigenous to the Trenton area, having been introduced there by workers dissatisfied with conditions at Bennington - the manufacture of a blue ware instead of brown being a way of "getting even," since blue was not made as a separate ware at Bennington. According to Robacker, there may be merit in the claim. This Flowing Blue Spatter Plate is in excellent condition and is 8-1/2" in diameter with a lovely scalloped edge. It has a studied but essentially unstructured effect which is quite lovely and results in each piece of this ware being basically one of a kind. $250.00 F5I11583 Questions? Ask the Ferret!
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