May I suggest an article by George Miller published in Maryland Historical Magazine (Vol 69 Number 2, Summer 1974) entitled "A Tenant Farmer's Tableware: Nineteenth-Century Ceramics from Tabb's Purchase." In this article George explores a selection process of buying similar, but not identical edge-decorated ceramics and suggests an attempt at piecemeal set acquisition.

Silas Hurry
HSMC

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Doug Ross <[log in to unmask]> 

> Folks, 
> 
> I am looking for published archaeological studies that examine the use of 
> mismatched sets of ceramic vessels. I have an assemblage (c. 1900-1930) of 
> English teacups and saucers that clearly do not match one another, and I was 
> wondering how common that is on archaeological sites, and what meaning one 
> could read into it. I am aware of Gaw's (1975) article on ceramics from 
> Silcott, but was wondering what other literature there is out there. Thanks, 
> 
> Doug Ross 
>