Spatter Ware and Sponge Ware – Is there a difference?

Splash ware and sponge ware are terms in pottery that are often linked or assumed to be the same thing. Are they the same or not?

Splash pottery originated in Staffordshire, England around 1750. Back then, it was called sponge pottery. And it really was very common to use sponges.

During the 19th century, English sponge creations were more popular than ever, and Wedgwood began manufacturing them for the American market and exporting them. Upon arriving in America, he became popular for the technique with which he decorated himself, which he called spattered. Hence, it became popularly known as splashback items. From this it appears that splash and sponge items are the same thing and simply came to be known by different names. But the distinction does not lie only there.

Splashing was the name given to the process of applying colorful designs to items before they were glazed and fired. Often the decorating process was carried out with a small sponge. But it was not done with a sponge in all cases. The reason splatter ware is often called sponge ware is because splattering (the process of carefully hand-painting dots onto ceramics) creates an effect very similar to the effect you get from using a sponge. Therefore, when talking about splash or sponge, one can call either of the two names when referring to a single decoration effect. The difference lies in the actual way a piece of pottery is decorated. And due to the fact that splash ceramic manufacturing is much more labor intensive, it also commands a higher price compared to sponge ceramic.

Splatter/sponge items can commonly be seen with splattered designs on the edges and motifs painted in the center. There are different varieties identifiable by their patterns. Sponge Blue Spatter or Blue Sponge items have spatters but no pattern painted in the center. Sponge Spatter or Stick-Sponge Spatter items were decorated with molded sponges used to make six-pointed rosettes, vines, and wavy lines. Virginia products tended to be overcrowded flowers dotted around the edges, a central figure or pattern, and rosettes between the figure and margin designs.

So is splatter dish the same as sponge dish? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because if you go to the United States to buy ceramics, the most recognizable term will be splash; however, if you’re going to England to shop, you might as well say you’re looking for sponge items and you’ll get the same thing. The answer is also no, because if you’re going to talk about how a piece of pottery is made, you might want to use the correct terms to make sure you’re clear.