My Ceramic Spongeware Collection
The art of collecting things that are both beautiful and practical (and each one more unique than the next!)
Writing this series of collections has me falling in love with the art of collecting all over again. Thank you for all of the love you shared on this series so far! It’s been so enjoyable to put together. I’m glad you have an appetite for collecting too.
One of my favorite parts of sharing these posts has been hearing from all of you. Reading your comments and messages about your collections has made me appreciate my own even more. I've realized just how much they've grown over the years - I almost didn't notice it happening! That subtlety and slowness is what I find so fulfilling about collecting. Collecting is not a sport fit for a world of go, go, go. That’s why I like it. It reminds me to slow down more and keep my eyes open for the next thing that might become something more one day. It reminds me to notice, to look up, and to look out. There are a multitude of lessons to be learned from collecting.
In case you missed it - you can view my collections up close in these videos: Nantucket lightship basket collection / Herend figurine collection.
Plus, read the full stories behind each item in these longer posts:
Today’s installment in the series is all about my ceramic spongeware! Spongeware is one of my favorite things to collect because it’s as practical as it is beautiful. It’s one thing to have delicate collections on display, but when I find something worth collecting that is both meaningful and usable, I feel a different kind of joy. Who doesn’t want their everyday life to be filled with beautiful things?! It’s a recipe for the type of gracious living I think we are all seeking in life.
My spongeware collection is somewhat small, but I love every individual piece within my collection. I’ve mostly curated everything in blue and white, but I do have a standout green and white pitcher that I adore! I use my spongeware for anything from entertaining and arranging flowers in my home to even enjoying everyday meals. Because antique spongeware is handmade, no two pieces are ever exactly alike and those little variations are what make each one feel so special.
Inside My Spongeware Collection
Let’s take an intimate look inside, shall we? In my personal collection I have four pitchers. I gravitate to floral designs, and I actually appreciate and admire any imperfections within them. Slightly imperfect details just remind me of their handmade nature, which makes an ordinary thing like a pitcher feel a bit extraordinary.
The first pitcher I own is a large one with a beautiful blue flower on it. I bought it a couple years ago at the Charleston Antique Show; when I saw it, it spoke to me right away. Edwin always reaches for this one when he gets me flowers - I think it’s sweet that it’s his favorite!
The next pitcher I have is a large one with a gorgeous stripe. Anytime I spot an extra detail like this that sets a piece apart from the rest, it catches my eye and I have to bring it home. This one’s stripe is really smart and classic. I bought it at my favorite antique store in Bridgehampton that has sadly closed its doors (RIP Barbara Trujillo Antiques). They had a spectacular wall of spongeware! Every time I visited my aunt and uncle, I would go in to admire it. One day, I walked out with this one in my hands.
I adore my little green and white pitcher. One of my dear friends, Kristin, has an antique business here in Charleston called Found. And she has the most incredible eye. She sources from England and France - what a dream! I saw this in the background of a photo that she posted on Instagram and immediately sent a message: “Tell me about that little green and white pitcher!” The next day it was mine! Green and white spongewear is also fairly rare, which makes me even more grateful to have found this one. I just love it!
The last pitcher in my collection is a little less traditional and different from the vein that I usually go for, but when I saw the big sunflower I knew I had to have it. You might remember from my Nantucket lightship basket collection that my grandmother loved sunflowers. My mom has a basket from my grandmother with a big sunflower on it. This pitcher is similar in that it acts as a little piece of the women in my life from past generations. Their stories and hearts are dotted around my house, present in holdovers from another time.
My Mom’s Collection
If you’ve been following along with the series, you know by now that my collections are almost always started and inspired by my mom, the true master of collecting. She is a true magpie for old, beautiful things. We share so many of our special finds with each other (and by that, I mean she mostly shares with me, ha!). My mom has accumulated her collection over time and has a beautiful variety of pieces. Both of us have a reverence for New England, folk Americana art, detailed craftsmanship, and intentional art forms like pottery - hence our affinity for spongeware!
She owns a bunch of pitchers in different sizes and various heights. I love to pull from her amazing assortment for parties, family dinners, or any time I want a unique pie dish or beautiful bowl to mark a special occasion.
We use these for water when we’re having family dinner. We also fill them with flowers all the time. The pitchers are really quite versatile! My mom has two of the rarer green ones; she always says that when she sees a green one, she must immediately grab it!
My favorite piece in my mom’s collection has to be the tea set. The two little teacups and teapot are the cutest little set - similar to each other but still so unique. I love comparing the different sizes of the designs, just based off of the sponge that was used to paint it. Like I said, I live for those subtle differences and unique details in spongeware.
Lastly, and probably the most practical, my mom has lots of little bowls and vessels. I always see her fill them with nuts on the game table (we play a lot of dominoes and cards in our family!).
I borrow the pie plate all the time because it is the perfect size. Above, you can see a time I used it to make Henry’s birthday pie. The rest of these can be used in any way, shape, or form around your house, and they are beautiful whether on display or being used in a functional sense. They’re mostly blue and white, with one of those rarer green and white bowls in there!
Places to Shop Spongeware
Shoppe Found (This is my friend Kristin’s antique business here in Charleston and she always has lots of spongeware! This is what I reference as being where I got my green and white pitcher): pitcher, milk pitcher, mixing bowl, yellowwear pitcher, and this 19th-century pitcher.
Tory Burch: So many great new pieces here!
Etsy: nesting Bowls, farmhouse mug, mixing bowl, and this stunning serving set.
Replacements.com: vegetable bowl, soup bowl, love this gravy boat, so many more options here.
On one hand, spongeware is simply beautiful. The signature blue and white is so timeless (and happens to pair perfectly with so many of my Herend figurines!). On the other hand, it's perfectly practical. I love that these are pieces we actually use! Collecting and using a collection makes a regular ole day of living feel special and a day devoid of special isn’t a day for me.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to know: are you a spongeware collector too?! Are you more drawn to the pitchers or the bowls and plates?
Share in the comments - I want to hear everything!!
Until the next one!
xx Jillian
P.S. To see these all up close, check out this video!
P.P.S. This is the fun outfit I’m wearing in this post: linen skirt / baby blue shirt / eyelet pendant :)
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Hi Jillian, I too am a collector of spongeware. All of my pieces are from Bennington Potters in Bennington, Vermont. Most of my collection is in their Morning Glory Blue design which is my favorite. I also have a few pieces in pink, white on white, and black on slate. I love the simplicity and cheerfulness of spongeware. It really makes me happy, along with my Cornishware which I adore.
Thanks so much, Jillian! I do love my Bennington Pottery and use it regularly, especially the light blue tankard mugs. Bennington Pottery also has a really pretty yellow spongeware which is perfect for summer, although I don’t have any pieces from this collection yet. Space is a bit tight in our late-50s Mid-Century Modern home here in Alexandria. My husband teases that we’ll soon need a storage unit for all our pottery and china!