spongeware

1 8.8

Pottery like plates and bowls decorated with patterns made by pressing a sponge into paint

noun
/ˈspʌndʒˌwɛr/

Specialized

: cerámica esponjosa

Collectors often showcase their spongeware pottery in glass cabinets to highlight the intricate designs.
spongeware bowls

Examples

She inherited a set of colorful spongeware mugs from her grandmother.
The museum displayed a rare collection of nineteenth-century spongeware plates and bowls.
Collectors often search for unique patterns on old spongeware pottery at antique fairs.
The spongeware vase was beautifully crafted.
I love collecting spongeware from different eras.
The table was set with beautiful spongeware dishes that added color to the meal.
She inherited a set of antique spongeware bowls that her grandmother used for holiday gatherings.

Synonyms

slipware

vsspongeware

Specialized

1 7.7

Pottery decorated with liquid clay before firing

uses the same liquid clay but applied with a porous pad to form patterns

clayware

vsspongeware

6.7

Objects made from clay and baked until hard, like pots and bowls

is the decorated form that uses colored liquid clay for patterns

Surface Forms

spongeware singular

spongewares plural

Morphology

spongeware = sponge + ware (transparent) = sponge + ware

The compound clearly denotes a type of ware (pottery) associated with sponge decoration, so the meaning is directly inferable from its parts.

Etymology

The word spongeware comes from sponge (the soft thing you use to wash) and ware meaning 'pots' or 'goods'. Potters used a sponge to dab coloured slip onto clay to make patterns, so spongeware means pottery decorated with patterns made by a sponge.