Iridescent overglaze pottery was first developed in the Middle East in the 9th century. Compounds of silver and copper were fired in oxygen-starved kilns to create soft metallic tones of amber, red and yellow. The technique flourished in southern Europe from the 15th to 17th centuries and was revived in the 1870s by William De Morgan.
This kind of lustre suited artist and studio potters, but factories needed a simpler, more reliable process. In the early 19th century, manufacturers developed a different metallic lustre that gave wares a pink, silver or copper-like finish.
Unlike earlier lustreware, this method did not require an oxygen-starved kiln. It used tiny amounts of costly metals such as platinum and gold, making it practical for factory production. It could also be fired with enamel colours, unlike gilding, which needed an extra firing. Different metal and body combinations produced different effects: gold on white created pink or purple tones, gold on a red-brown clay body gave a coppery finish, and platinum produced a silver or steel-like sheen.
This finely made jug, decorated with a pheasant on a fence among floral sprays, was made in Leeds, Yorkshire, around 1820.
