Rockingham Pottery is a 19th century English porcelain manufacturer with an international reputation, supplying fine wares and ornaments for the royal family and aristocracy in Britain and abroad, as well as producing porcelain and earthenware for the general user. Best known for his exquisite Rococo style.
The factory was located in Swinton, near Rotherham, West Yorkshire, and for a later period operated under the auspices of the Earls of Fitzwilliam, who were the main landowners in the area.
What is often called Rockingham glazed pottery or Rockingham pottery was widely produced in Britain and the United States during the 19th century. Faience with a thick brown ceramic glaze, 18th century style.
The pinnacle of the factory′s production were two fancifully decorated Rhinoceros vases, which were touted as the largest single piece of porcelain in existence (one in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the other in the Clifton Park Museum in Rotherham) and a large exquisite dessert service, commissioned by for King William IV, which took eight years to complete, which can be seen at Windsor Castle.
Rockingham porcelain was produced in two different periods: 1826-1830, the so-called period of the red mark, and 1831-1842, the period of the Puze mark.
Porcelain products included tea and coffee, dining and desserts, writing sets and inkwells, scented jars and pots, baskets, bedding, porcelain tablets, figurines, animals, sideboards and cups. Patterns ranged from common geometric patterns with brightly colored backgrounds and simple gilding, intricate neoroccoco patterns, scrolls and acanthus leaves, to decorative inlaid ornamental pieces. Many of the more decorated pieces include landscapes and flower arrangements. There is evidence that most decorative pieces were made towards the end of the red mark period and the early start mark periods: earlier designs often have more geometric shapes, and later ones, although retaining neocococo shapes from the early puce-mark period, have less extravagant decoration. which may have been more appropriate in the early years of the Victorian era. Among other products, the factory was known for its dark brown, almost iridescent brown glaze. More standard products included blue and green patterns on cream and pearl backgrounds. Other items representing various scenes: The Returning Forester or The Peasant (often on octagonal plates) are perhaps the most recognizable items from the factory.