At 10:00 AM 8/4/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Help ceramics experts--
>
>We have a single small sherd of a ceramic which I haven't been able to
>identify using my usual sources.  It's not critical to understanding the
>site but it has pricked my curiousity, so any help would be appreciated.
>
>The sherd is a thin, very hard red paste (yes--red).  The interior is white
>slipped and the exterior has zones or bands of deep blue and
>brown/black--divided approx. equally on the entire exterior surface of the
>small fragment (approx. 1.5 cm square).  The junction between the two colors
>is not a sharp line--sort of softened.  Both sides appear to have a clear
>glaze.  Based on the curve, I'm guessing a bowl or cup.
>
>The other ceramics from the site are typical mid-19th to early-20th century
>wares (whitewares and ironstones).  Historic information on the property
>suggests settlement perhaps as early as Second Seminole War (1836-42) but
>primary occupation is probably ca. 1850's when it was part of a plantation.
>
>Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
>
>                        Lucy Wayne
>
Lucy,
I think that Meta has hit it on the the head.  You have found a fragment
from a copper lustre vessel.  I expect that the white slip is fairly thick.
 What you now perceive as brown slip was once a copper lustre surface.
Where I differ from Meta is that I believe that these vessels were produced
into the 1830s (though, she is absolutely correct in pointing out that they
are reintroduced in the 1870s into the early 20th century (this is
referenced in Jewetts book on English ceramic production).  I have a a wide
variety of these vessels in my own ceramic collection including a "can" mug
(my favorite beer mug!!), a shaving mug (in a reference from the 1920s -
sorry its at the office- the author illustrates a shaving mug that is
extremely similar to mine that is claimed to be George Washington's - I
don't know about mine but it makes a great coffee mug), beakers, cups,
bowls, and the ever present pitchers.  I have found them in early to mid
19th century contexts in sites throughout upstate New York.  Also, you
should be aware of another surface treatment that is sometimes referred to
as "sand finish", which are very small broken pieces of angular ball clay
that are sometimes applied to the exterior - often in an annular band.  I
have always found fragments with this finish (archaeologically) covered in
white slip.  However, I own an example where the entire bowl is covered in
copper lustre.  I also believe that these vessels were highly curated.  In
Upstate New York, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic where I have antiqued
extensively, these are fairly common ceramics in antique shops and are
usually in very good shape - they are rare archaeologically.  I believe
that these were often kept as display pieces in china cabinets or as
garnishes like "witch balls".  If I could see the color of blue that is
found on the exterior vessel I could make a better assesment of whether it
is a late 18th - early 19th century vessel as opposed to one of the later
pieces.  The earlier vessels can be found in both dark blue, a dark green
(fairly rare in New York), and a blue green.  In addition there are
examples where the exterior of the vessel has applied sprigged finishes
that have been painted in polychrome.  My favorite piece in my collection
is a pitcher with an annular dark blue band that has an applied sprig of
Putties being pulled by a swan - to make it even better the spout was
broken and replaced by a Tinker in the 18th or 19th century in copper -
these days its hard to tell where the ceramic that immitates copper ends
and the actual copper starts (For those Histarchers that are crazed
antiquers like myself the best part is that piece cost a lousy $8 at an
antique show!).  Best of luck.
                Lon