Of Hounds and Men May 15, 2010

Of Hounds and Men: Rockingham Pottery from the Lewis Collection is a newer exhibit at The Mint Museum of Art. The term "Rockingham" refers to a rich brown glaze that received its characteristic color through the addition of manganese. It was first made in England in the late eighteenth century, but a few decades later the technique spread to the United States, where it became a standard of many potters--especially those in the Northeast, Maryland, and Ohio. American potters initially followed the English example of dipping their wares in the glaze to achieve a solid brown surface, but they soon switched to dripping, sponging, or splattering the glaze on the ceramic body in order to achieve a pleasing, mottled effect. By 1845, Rockingham pottery dominated the American ceramics industry, and it remained immensely popular for the rest of the century.