Curious Sea Pottery Finds

 

Fellow sea pottery nerds out there will understand my delight at finding these curious specimens,  recently on the Dublin shore. If you know nothing about beach combing for sea pottery, click HERE to get acquainted with this addictive hobby.

The dark red and white shard is nicely frosted and there are traces of its original glaze.. It has a raised pattern and I'm not sure which way is up. As yet I have no clue as to what it might come from. The other side is plainer and more matte yet still a deep red shade. It makes me think that it may be a decorative flower pot, bowl or vase, as the manufacture deemed it worthy of colour on both sides. The groove on the outer rim will help when I wire wrap it, but the tricky bit will be to avoid hiding the pattern.

This is obvioulsy the drainage hole from the bottom of a terracotta flower pot. It's a fun find, but a little clunky for making jewellery. But I have a couple of ideas in my head for a quirky ornament, perhaps for a garden.

Finally, the piece de resistance; a beautifully intact, patterned, green tile. It is about the length of a matchbox and as thick as the tray inside one.  It is well frosted and leeched by the sea but the colour is still true, if a little enhanced by sea flora. It is probably a few decades old but not of the same vintage as most of the pieces I have found. Much of the beach-worn sea pottery washed along the Irish coast tends to be 19th and 18th century. This may or may not be old, but its good condition means it has not been in the sea for 100 years, more like 10 to 40, at a  guess.

 I've only given it a rinse out as I haven't figured out the best way to clean it without fading it or damaging it. I shall probably revert to the safest means a good soak in washing up liquid and cleaning with my hands, and absolutely no scrubbing brushes. An artist's paintbrush may come in handy.  If anyone recognises the pattern or what exactly it might be, I'd love to hear from you. 

I'll be back with some lovely pieces of sea glass and sea pottery which are currently soaking in soapy water.

Happy beach combing!