China collecting in America

In Short

This comprehensive study traces how early Americans imported, crafted, and used ceramics and tablewares from colonial times through the nineteenth century. Alice Morse Earle details the transition from wooden trenchers and pewter to imported Delftware, Oriental porcelain, and British Staffordshire. Through local excursions, architectural history, and detailed catalogs of printed designs, she reveals how domestic pottery reflected national politics, trade routes, and everyday social customs. It remains an enduring classic because it treats decorative objects not merely as antiques, but as living artifacts of early American home life, sentiment, and national identity.

The Story

The study opens on the road with the avid china hunter, showing how collectors seek out overlooked ceramic treasures hidden in isolated farmhouses and country garrets. This personal pursuit anchors a broader historical investigation into how early Americans set their tables. Before porcelain became widespread, colonists relied on wooden trenchers and pewter plates, which were stored in chimney cupboards or under eaves. As trade expanded, imported Delftware, salt-glazed items, and tortoise-shell wares began replacing simpler vessels. Early settlers also attempted local production, establishing brick and earthenware kilns in settlements like Danvers, Massachusetts, to make utilitarian redware.

The survey then moves to imported British and Oriental wares. Ships returning to Atlantic seaports like Salem and Boston brought over crates of Canton and Nankin chinaware, along with English porcelains and Liverpool creamware. British manufacturers quickly realized that the newly independent American market craved patriotic goods. They produced specialized transfer-printed pitchers, plates, and tea sets featuring naval heroes, political slogans, and American statesmen. Earle documents how tea drinking and punch bowls became central to social life, with elaborate punch bowls appearing in public taverns and private homes alike.

A significant portion of the book focuses on historical, presidential, and commemorative chinaware. Earle examines the specific services used by George and Martha Washington, tracking down pieces from the Cincinnati set and the French-gifted services. She provides extensive, systematic catalogs of commemorative designs featuring Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Lafayette, alongside plates recording the construction of the Erie Canal, early American railroads, and famous public buildings.

In its final chapters, the work shifts back to personal memory and the practical details of collecting. Earle reflects on visits to remote New England homesteads, describing dilapidated pantries where rare pieces of Leeds, Lowestoft, or historical blue Staffordshire lay forgotten amidst household clutter. The book concludes by offering guidance on organizing and displaying china collections, framing these humble objects as vital, tangible links to the domestic history of the Republic.

How It Unfolds

Hunting for early wares The author sets out into the countryside, describing the clever tactics and frequent misadventures involved in convincing rural homeowners to sell their forgotten family ceramics.

Replacing wood and pewter The text details how early American homes transitioned away from primitive wooden trenchers and pewter platters toward imported European earthenwares.

Building local potteries Colonial efforts to establish domestic brick and earthenware kilns are explored, highlighting early developments in Danvers, Massachusetts, and other pioneer settlements.

Importing Oriental and British porcelain Merchant ships arrive at New England wharves, unloading crates of Chinese Canton porcelain alongside English Liverpool, Bow, and Worcester wares.

Commemorating American heroes British potters capitalize on the American market by manufacturing transfer-printed china that features portraits of Washington, Franklin, and Lafayette.

Cataloging historical scenes Detailed lists categorize Staffordshire blue plates decorated with views of the Erie Canal, early American universities, city halls, and political events.

Rescuing abandoned treasures The narrative visits declining country homes and dusty attics to salvage rare Lowestoft and Leeds pieces from neglected pantries before showing how to display them.

The People

Alice Morse Earle The author and narrator acts as an enthusiastic social historian and antique hunter. She seeks to rescue neglected tableware from obscure corners, wanting to preserve early American artifacts to document the frugal daily life of the nation's founders.

Frances Clary Morse The author's sister and constant companion on china-hunting expeditions. She shares the thrill of the search across countryside roads, joining in the quest for rare historic plates and tea sets.

George and Martha Washington Central historical figures whose personal tablewares represent early American presidential dignity. Their decorated Chinese and European services become prime targets of study and admiration for early American collectors.

The Barnegat Wreckers A infamous coastal family who lured ships to destruction off the shores of New Jersey. Their criminal exploits distributed crates of fine English "Beach ware" porcelain into local shore cottages.

In Its Own Voice

"From the floor of henhouses have they been rescued, where they have been long ignominiously trodden under foot by high-stepping and imperious fowl."

The author describes the humble places where early American pewter plates were abandoned before being saved by collectors.

"How that old blue Canton must have savored forever to the fair buyers of the 'bloom raisins,' the cinnamon, the ginger, palm-oil, gum-copal, and ivory, the tea, the otto-of-roses, that had been fellow-travellers for months in the good ship’s hold..."

She reflects on the sensory romance of purchasing imported Oriental porcelain directly from weather-beaten Indiamen ships at town wharves.

"Indeed, through this entire house, nothing could ever have been wholly destroyed or carried away, but was thrown, in its broken, grimy desuetude, into some neglected closet or room to gather years of dust and dirt..."

This scene captures the cluttered decay of an old country house where forgotten ceramic treasures were ultimately discovered.

What It's Really About

The book argues that domestic objects provide an intimate, democratic record of national history that formal political texts often overlook. By examining everyday items like tea-caddies, punch bowls, and printed platters, the author demonstrates how global trade routes and local craftsmanship shaped early American home life. Underneath the detailed listings lies an argument about memory and preservation: saving ordinary, mass-produced crockery honors the domestic routines of early citizens. The text also highlights how British commercial manufacturers capitalized on American patriotism, turning political sentiment into a profitable household commodity.

Why Read It Today

This work will appeal to decorative arts enthusiasts, antique collectors, and readers interested in early American social history. Reading it feels like taking an unhurried backroads journey through nineteenth-century New England and the Mid-Atlantic, led by a witty, knowledgeable guide who knows the story behind every cabinet and cupboard.

The book's appeal lies in its blending of precise historical cataloging with vivid travel sketches. Modern readers should be prepared for its dense, methodical descriptions of ceramic patterns, maker marks, and regional pottery inventories. The text also reflects late nineteenth-century antiquarian perspectives, occasionally indulging in romanticized portrayals of rural life. Yet, its charm remains intact: it transforms static museum pieces into lively remnants of daily human interaction, making it a rewarding read for anyone who appreciates the history embedded in everyday household objects.