Copper lustre decorated ceramic ware has been known for over a thousand years.  In the 7^th century, Arabic potters decorated wares with pigments derived from metallic oxides.  Twelve centuries later, many different forms of metallic decorated ceramics were in vogue, primarily all-over treatments of copper, silver, or pink lustre.  By the 1840s, all-over lustre patterns had given way to a more restricted use where white ware was decorated with lustre bands and/or simple motifs.  Thus was born, Tea Lea Ironstone.

The name “Tea Leaf” is actually a 20^th century invention.  Original names for this ware included “Lustre Band and Sprig,” “Edge Line and Sprig,” and “Lustre Spray.”  W.P. Jervis, in his Dictionary of Pottery Terms published in 1917, lists the name “Lustre Band and Sprig” and describes it as a “pattern with a band of lustre at edge and a flower spray in center.”  When, where, or why the nickname “Tea Leaf” came about is not known.  However, there is evidence that it has been in use since the 1920s, so it is well documented as the popular 20^th century name for this collectible 19^th century ware.

White ironstone bodies with lustre band decoration first made their appearance on the ceramic scene in the 1840s and 1850s.  These were products of the neo-classic revival and were featured on body styles such as Gothic and Grape Octagon.  Potters then began experimenting with designs to complement or augment the basic copper banding.  One of the most notable was Edward Walley whose early wares are found with copper lustre decorations featuring banding, spokes, scallops, and the winding vine motif we call “Pre-Tea Leaf.”  Another early motif is the very delicate Teaberry design found on wares potted by Jacob Furnival and Joseph Clementson.  Other popular designs included various styles of Pomegranates, a copper lustred Pinwheel, and several Botanical motifs.

Anthony Shaw gets the credit for designing the original Tea Leaf motif.  His Niagara Fan and Chinese Shape design body styles registered in 1856 are considered to be the first in a long line of traditional Tea Leaf ware.  There are examples bearing the Shaw Tunstall mark (1851-1856) that are decorated with stylized versions of what eventually evolved into the Shaw Tea Leaf; thus the controversy surrounding the actual date that the traditional Tea Leaf first appeared.  Shaw’s simple motif must have been an instant success for in the 1850s, he followed with a plethora of body styles all decorated with his distinctive Tea Leaf.

Meanwhile, other potteries were busy producing wares in competition with Shaw’s output.  Rather than adopt the Shaw motif, these potters preferred variations of the basic copper lustre design.  Jacob Furnival and Joseph Clementson used motifs featuring Teaberry, Cinquefoil or Coral designs.  Elsmore and Forster experimented with several variations, decorating their popular Portland Shape with a copper lustre Morning Glory motif and also with a berry motif called Reverse Teaberry which utilized green as well as copper lustre.  Other variations from this factory are the foliated Pepperleaf and Tobacco Leaf motifs.

By the 1870s, the Staffordshire district of England was awash in potteries producing white ware decorated with copper or gold lustre.  More than 25 English firms were turning out tons of dinner and toilet wares.  Such venerable names as John Edwards, Thomas Furnival, Alfred Meakin and Enoch Wedgwood were in full production putting out a variety of body styles decorated with the traditional “Lustre Band and Sprig” motif.  Their names and the names of their contemporaries are found in the list of Potters given with each body style entry.

Who were the buyers of these durable wares?  Not the good folk of the English croft or village; they preferred gaudily decorated polychrome lines.  The Tea Leaf produced in the heart of England was packed in barrels and loaded in the holds of the great sailing ships where it served as ballast for the journey across the “pond.”  Its destinations were the coastal towns of Nova Scotia and Maine and the great ports of the Eastern Seaboard.  From there it found its way to eager housewives in Eastern river towns and bustling farmwives in New England, Ohio, Ontario, and points west.  Many a dewy-eyed Missouri bride set up housekeeping with this practical but beautiful dishware, the pride and joy of her kitchen.

In the latter part of the 19^th century, body styles were changing.  The Neo-Classic gave way to the Victorian.  Simple unadorned round or square styles were mass produced for use as hotel ware.  In contrast, the household trade was presented choices ranging from fanciful animal touches to elegantly embossed floral or embellished fluted designs, sure to bring out the romantic in even the most harried of housewives.

The traditional “Lustre Band and Sprig”, the Tea Leaf, was at the height of its popularity.  American potteries challenged the monopoly of the British imports by offering a variety of body styles and motifs.  Many of these were copies of popular English favorites but there were innovative styles introduced as well.  The American companies used both gold and copper lustre decorations, often with very stylized motifs, some mimicking their English cousins, others strictly original.

By the turn of the century, the Victorian age was soon to be concluded.  The public taste, influenced by the dawning of a new century, turned to newer styles in the decorative arts.  The angular lines of the Arts and Crafts Movement replaced the soft roundness of the Victorian scene.  The Age of Tea Leaf had come to its end.  Perhaps it is fitting that the firm credited with producing the first ware decorated with the traditional copper “Lustre Band and Sprig” motif, Anthony Shaw and his successor, Shaw & Sons, closed its doors in 1899, signaling the end of an era.

Epilogue
Even though production of Tea Leaf ironstone had ceased by 1910, many sets graced the tables of city and country folks alike for years to come.  By the 1920s and 30s, Grandma’s Tea Leaf dishes were cherished by new generations.  Tea Leaf became an avidly sought-after collectible.  By the mid 20^th century, a Tea Leaf revival was in full swing.  The Adams Pottery of England and the American Red Cliff Pottery were the principal players in the production of the modern version of this old favorite.

Popularity of the century old Tea Leaf continued unabated.  The back-to-country movement in home decoration highlighted the simplicity of this beautiful white ware with a splash of lustre.  With renewed interest in Tea Leaf, two outcomes were inevitable.  First, that a book would be published; second that a collectors club would be formed.  The book Grandma’s Tea Leaf Ironstone by Annise Heaivilin was published by Wallace-Homestead in 1981.  And in 1980 an enthusiastic group of collectors formed what we know today as Tea Leaf Club International (TLCI).