Hi George,

Thanks for the great paper on common cup and bowl shapes.  I found it quite informative.

I've been studying historic ceramics (mostly 19th century) for a number of years which has coincided with the excavation of a Michigan farmstead (Warner site) dating to 1841.  Our family has lived there for over 170 years and we have been able to identify dozens of patterns of ceramics including "Bologna" by William Adams, "Sydenham" by Joseph Clementson, "Premier" by J & G Meakin, etc.  

I've been reading a number of your articles lately and have found them quite valuable and insightful.  Interestingly, before I had read them, I had been coming to many of the same conclusions you did regarding differentiation between pearlware, graniteware, ironstone, etc.  More on that at a later date.

Just a basic question regarding tulip shape cups in the common cup and bowl shapes article:

In the table provided, it lists printed as rare for whiteware, not seen for white granite, and not seen for bone china. Pearlware is not listed.  Unless I am confusing the tulip shape with another, I've seen all kinds of what appear to be tulip shaped cups with transfer printed designs.  Many of these utilize patterns (some with registry dates) in the 1840s.  The earliest is an unmarked cup in blue that appears to be "Garden Scenery" by T. J. & J. Mayer circa 1842.  I realize that some of these could/would have been manufactured later on with an earlier registry date, but there are many, many transfer printed tulip shaped cups in the 1840s and 1850s.  Ones with handles are quite rare, though I have seen two examples: "Tillenberg" by Joseph Clementson or Clementson Brothers and an unidentified pattern in mulberry by J. & S. Alcock Jnr. registered in 1848.  P W & Co had a pattern called "Minerva" circa 1852 listed as "Pearl Stone Ware" in the maker's mark.  The tulip shape cups I am referring to have paneled sides.

Any clarification would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Tim