Mochaware: Iconic Designs From Humble Beginnings
The word “mocha” conjures some obvious contemporary associations—including your pick-me-up coffee shop order—but the term has roots in the long history of ceramics as well.
“Mocha” refers to a type of slip-decorated earthenware (or pearlware) originating in late-eighteenth-century England and eventually spreading across the Atlantic to early America.
“Mochaware” has become a trade term used to classify these ceramics, originally an inexpensive type of ware used by the middle class. In today’s market, mochaware is highly sought after for both its wide variety of surface patterns and its surprisingly modern design appeal.
20th Century Inspiration
The terms used for describing surface decoration in colored slip include “cat’s eye,” “earthworm,” “marble,” “agate,” and “seaweed,” among others. These patterns—rendered on opaque backgrounds of mustard yellow, vivid white, or cornflower blue—appear twentieth-century in their inspiration.
Though mochaware ceramics were considered workaday, utilitarian pieces in eighteenth-century England, they’re now highly coveted by today’s collectors for their eye-catching designs, geometric lines, and simple forms. Aside from the basic surface patterns listed above, mochaware decoration includes both carved and inlaid methods.
“Engine-turned” pieces refer to the three-dimensional effects generated by turning an earthenware piece on a lathe in a similar method to turned wood items, creating patterns like zig-zags and precise repeated lines. Similarly, “checkered” designs can be found on wares in which slips of varying colors are applied to recessed areas, or through the sgraffito technique of cutting slip away to reveal the clay body.
Bringing Mochaware Pieces to Market
Freeman’s American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts department has brought dozens of mochaware pieces to market, including large collections of mocha, engine-turned, and slip-decorated earthenware, pearlware, and yellowware pepper pots. These pots exemplify the broad range of colors, styles, and forms mochaware can take, from swaths of bright blue slip to intricately patterned checks and stripes.
Though mochaware has its origins in the late eighteenth century, its remarkably contemporary aesthetic and appeal means it’s no wonder that today’s design enthusiasts harbor a deep appreciation for mochaware as a progenitor of modern and contemporary tablewares.