Factory slipware

Popular during the late 1700s and early 1800s, factory slipware is a decorated mass-produced earthenware imported from England. It’s notable for its distinct and surprisingly modern-looking decoration in contrasting hues of blue, white, green, yellow and brown.

Who would have owned it: Slaveowners and wealthy European settlers would have been the primary buyers of imported ceramics. However, research elsewhere in the Caribbean suggests that when enslaved and freed people had the means to buy imported wares, they were more likely to purchase colorful, vibrant styles than European settlers.