THE EARLY POTTERIES OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 33 



The vessels marbled, mottled, or "combed," in the manner 

 here so well described by Plot, were dishes and other things 

 for domestic use, and were, it seems, carried about the 

 country, as pancheons and other coarse ware are now, by 

 hawkers. The collector will find fragments of this kind of 

 ornamented ware in the museums at Stoke and at Hanley, 

 and others are in my own and other private collections. A 

 dish of this " combed ware" is shown on the accompanying 

 engraving. Some of the examples are so delicate and minute 

 in their "combing," that it would be difficult to show the 

 pattern in so small a size. The one engraved is therefore 



one on which the pattern is of large proportions, and has 

 been produced by a very wide and coarse comb. 



The lead mentioned by Plot as used for glazing was the 

 lead ore procured from the lead mines of Derbyshire, which 

 was powdered, or 6t punned," according to the native dialect, 

 and dusted on to the clay vessel before submitting it to the 

 action of fire. 



In 1685 Thomas Miles, of Shelton, made a white stone 

 ware, and at the same time brown stone ware was made at 

 the same place. The stone ware then made was probably 

 somewhat akin in appearance to the " Bellarmines," &c. ? 

 at that time imported in considerable numbers from Holland 

 and Germany. 



