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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Staffordshire pottery
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Most British pottery has been produced in and around the *Five Towns of Staffordshire. Ceramics were an important part of the local economy from the 17C, deriving from the abundance of coal and clay in the area. The most notable firms, all still in business today, have been *Wedgwood, *Spode and *Minton. Staffordshire is known first for its magnificent 17C *slipware. By the 18C the region was producing the immensely successful *Toby jug and a wide range of the famous Staffordshire figures. Usually primitive in style (such as the early 'pew groups' of two or three people on a high-backed seat), these figures were modelled in the round.
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But from the 1840s Staffordshire produced a range specifically designed as ornaments for cottage chimneys, a position which meant that the back could be disregarded. This saved cost by enabling the clay to be pressed into a flat mould. The resulting 'flatbacks', known collectively as Victorian Staffordshire or sometimes Cottage Staffordshire, were usually portraits of contemporary notables, whether royal, political, military or theatrical.
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