I currently live in Japan and have been finding a great deal of "sea ceramics" or "sea pottery" - I am not sure if it has a name other than sea glass.
Can anyone tell me the history behind these finds? Is it linked to a Japanese tradition of any sort or is this just "garbage" washing up on the beach?
Thank you
Jake ---------------- David (editor):
Hi Jake, nice to hear from Japan!
Pottery shards are among the beach treasures that many sea glass fans also collect. Finding a nice shard is very exciting. We have a tiny bit of information on this site about pottery shards, but I will be adding photos and more as soon as I get a chance! The above photo is an example.
Shards may be identified generally as to how old they are by certain features, ie, material used, firing methods, and shapes. However, even that is not exact. When you only have a worn shard, it significantly increases the difficulty.
If you find a piece with a signature, trademark, or seal, however, more precise identification becomes possible.
However, SO MUCH pottery has been produced over the ages in all parts of the world, that a lot of information still needs to be gathered. A very interesting site on the web is:
www.potterymarks.co.uk/pottery.html
A suggestion would be to post a photo here and see if any of our viewers can given some ideas. You can submit as often as you want.
What is the name of beach in London which used to be a dump and can find great sea glass? by: Anonymous
I have often heard people mention that "dump beach" in England is a great place to discover sea glass. I will be going to London soon and would like to visit. If you have been, please tell me more about it, name of beach, location and how to get there. Thank you!
May 16, 2009
Sea Pottery by: Anonymous
Hi, this is Nick from Seaglass Dreams and you just about hit the nail on the head when you called them "Sea Pottery" because that's exactly what they are! These were once garbage from plates, dishes, cups that were either washed or dumped into the sea. They could have been from ships and even wrecks offshore! I found a lot of seaglass & Pottery on an Okinawa, Japan beach!!
When I went to England I found a huge assortment of gorgeous "Delft" pottery in blue, red and other colors on a beach that was the dumping grounds for most of London's garbage!! The colors of the seaglass on this beach would knock any diehard collector's socks off!! Hope this helps...Nick
I received your sea glass hearts and I LOVE them all.
Thank you so much for sending the extra hearts.
I was so touched by your thoughtfulness and I appreciate you sharing these special gifts from the sea! Hope to see more of your sea glass soon!
Thanks again,”
Diane
“Hi David,
Just wanted to tell you thank you for the monthly sea glass newsletter. I love it, and look forward to it.
Thanks again to you and your wife.”
Judi
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I just wanted to let you know I appreciate receiving my sea glass order so quickly.
Love the flowers, wave crest & rare pastels and the little extra surprise....you made my day!!”
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Thanks for the opportunity to search and read up on this!”
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Many happy memories swirled back into my mind when I saw your pictures. I spent my childhood on the beaches of Cape Cod and we spent many happy hours looking for sea glass.”
Candee
“It is a pleasure and refreshing to meet people in the sea glass community that are willing to share! I got some great tips from your site. It was wonderful not to spend my entire vacation looking for a beach. Thanks again!”
Maryanne K.W.
“Hi David and Lin.
Love your sea glass web site. I enjoy your picture of the month and intend on winning at least once.
I have been collecting and creating things from sea glass for over twenty years. I find my sea glass on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland Ohio.
Thank you for sharing your treasures with me.” Yours truly,
Cathy Lincks
“What an AWESOME site! I love reading about it, looking at all of your pictures, and planning my next vacation to the perfect beach.
Keep up the great work!”
Paula
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Rena
“Hi David and Lin - I love your website! Thank you for sharing info...”
Teryl
“Hi David. Its Bill and Joan Laverick, Durham City, North East of England. We love reading your posts. Keep up the good work!”
Bill & Joan
“I soo look forward to reading your blogs.”
Jacqueline Giguere
“Just wanted to let you know (since you were so helpful) that I won a blue ribbon (1st place) in Gifford Middle School Science Fair in the category of Environmental Science with my topic - Effect of a Florida Tidal Inlet on Wrack Line Sea Glass Volume.
Now, I will compete in the Regional Science Fair which will take place on Feb 2nd. My mom and dad and I had a lot of fun searching for sea glass.
Thanks,”
Mary Hyde
“I am beginning to be a typical sea glass hunter - always looking for fun places to find glass!
I think your site is great - very informative - thanks for the time and effort you put into it. ”
Karen
“I am beginning to be a typical sea glass hunter - always looking for fun places to find glass!
I think your site is great - very informative - thanks for the time and effort you put into it. ”
