Alternative Narratives in Ceramic History: Intermediaries and the Anglo-American Ceramic Trade

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Neil Ewins (Jingdezhen Ceramic University, China)

Alternative Narratives in Ceramic History

Name: Alternative Narratives in Ceramic History
Price: 170 AUD
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ISBN: 9781350538337

Intermediaries and the Anglo-American Ceramic Trade

Neil Ewins (Jingdezhen Ceramic University, China)

$170

Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Visual Arts
08 January 2026

History of art & design styles: c 1600 to c 1800; Industrial: Commercial Art & Design; Social & cultural history; Material culture; Pottery, ceramics & glass crafts

Introducing new insights into the history of ceramic design and consumption, Neil Ewins departs from the focus on manufacturers and producers and presents a third perspective that puts the multifaceted lives of the merchants, importers and dealers at the centre. Challenging the notion that intermediaries involved in the Anglo-American ceramic trade from the late 18th into the 19th century were simply motivated by maximizing profits and widespread market demands, Ewin’s alternative approach demonstrates the value of taking their culture, identity and conscience into account.

The geographic gap between the British manufacturer and the American consumer meant that those involved in mercantile activities assumed a highly significant role. Ewins analyses a range of sources including city directories, advertisements, newspapers and family trees to identify those involved in the ceramic trade, supplemented by archival material relating to the Wainwright and Ovington families. Illustrated with examples of ceramics and engravings, chapters explore how the intermediaries commissioned and marketed ceramics for different reasons, influenced by their political, social, religious and moral views. Ewins investigates how culture and a strong sense of identity, the abolition movement, kinship and family ties, religious beliefs and community, and the interracial experience all played a part in the manufacture, distribution and consumption of ceramics in the US market.

This volume demonstrates how the role of intermediaries deserves a place in the history of the Anglo-American ceramic trade; beyond design and consumption being production-led or market-led, it reveals that it could also be conscience-led and suggests the picture is far more complex than once understood.

By: Neil Ewins (Jingdezhen Ceramic University China)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 780g
ISBN: 9781350538337
ISBN 10: 1350538337
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 08 January 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Neil Ewins is a Teaching Assistant at Cramlington Learning Village, UK, and Honorary Visiting Professor in the School of International Culture and Communication at Jingdezhen Ceramic University, China. He is the author of Ceramics and Globalization: Staffordshire Ceramics Made in China (Bloomsbury, 2017).

Reviews for Alternative Narratives in Ceramic History: Intermediaries and the Anglo-American Ceramic Trade

Anyone valuing the instructive potential of history will find Ewins’ study of intermediaries in the Anglo-American crockery trade teeming with the seeds of intriguing new perspectives on contemporary creation and consumption of commercial wares, handmade production pottery, and even studio ceramics. * Glen Brown, Professor of Art History, Kansas State University, USA *