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Mocha Ware
Mocha was inexpensive, utilitarian dishware in the 18th century. It is avidly collected now for its bold, colorful, graphic decoration, which looks modern.
The decoration on Mocha was created by mounting a drying earthenware form onto a turning lathe for the application of pigmented liquid clay (known as slip) and the execution of a variety of techniques or manipulations, including rouletting and engine-turning. In rouletting, a turning die impressed a design into the drying blank as a horizontal band. The technique of engine-turning stripped thin layers of clay off the damp blank to create different patterns.
Slip was also used to create stripes of various widths known as banding, which could be manipulated to create different effects, such as marbleizing. Common patterns include dendritic designs (which simulate spreading tree branches), cat’s eyes, and cables.
Most Mocha is English, although some was made in France and the United States, the latter on yellowware. The popularity of Mocha-style decoration waned by the mid-19th century, and was then used only on utilitarian commercial vessels. Very few pieces were signed.
Because Mocha was originally made for everyday use, many surviving pieces have chips, cracks, or breaks, so collectors must weigh form and decoration versus condition and price.
The decoration on Mocha was created by mounting a drying earthenware form onto a turning lathe for the application of pigmented liquid clay (known as slip) and the execution of a variety of techniques or manipulations, including rouletting and engine-turning. In rouletting, a turning die impressed a design into the drying blank as a horizontal band. The technique of engine-turning stripped thin layers of clay off the damp blank to create different patterns.
Slip was also used to create stripes of various widths known as banding, which could be manipulated to create different effects, such as marbleizing. Common patterns include dendritic designs (which simulate spreading tree branches), cat’s eyes, and cables.
Most Mocha is English, although some was made in France and the United States, the latter on yellowware. The popularity of Mocha-style decoration waned by the mid-19th century, and was then used only on utilitarian commercial vessels. Very few pieces were signed.
Because Mocha was originally made for everyday use, many surviving pieces have chips, cracks, or breaks, so collectors must weigh form and decoration versus condition and price.
Latest page update: made by kjacobso
, Jun 19 2007, 11:45 AM EDT
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