Collection: Antique Ironstone | English & American Earthenware

Ironstone is a durable form of refined earthenware developed in early 19th-century England, prized for its strength, simplicity, and everyday usefulness. It was originally patented by Charles Mason of Staffordshire, whose formula produced a body harder than earthenware and more resilient than porcelain. Often referred to historically as the “poor man’s porcelain,” ironstone offered an affordable yet highly practical alternative to finer china.

Mason’s patent lasted only fourteen years, and by the 1820s other English potters were already experimenting with similar formulas. By the 1840s, English manufacturers began exporting large quantities of plain, undecorated ironstone to American and Canadian markets, having discovered that consumers in the “Colonies” favored unfussy, durable tableware suited for daily use.

In 1842, James Edwards is credited with marketing the first white ironstone china in America, helping establish ironstone as a staple of 19th-century households. Today, antique and vintage ironstone is collected for its clean white surfaces, sculptural forms, and timeless versatility, appealing equally to traditional collectors and modern interiors.

Our Antique Ironstone collection features carefully selected pieces from a range of manufacturers, valued for their quality, age, and understated beauty—a foundation category that reflects both the history and enduring appeal of ironstone tableware.