How to Identify Antique Earthenware Bakeware

Identify the different types of antique earthenware by colors of clay and glazes. Redware is made of red clay with yellow, green or clear glazes, often only on the inside. Salt-glazed pottery is made of grey clay and has a clear, glassy glaze made from salt. Cobalt blue decorations are characteristic of salt-glazed pottery. Yellowware gets its name from the yellow clay, as well as the yellow glaze that covers the entire piece. Majolica uses multiple, brightly colored glazes. It is very decorative and often features molded embellishments in high relief.

Familiarize yourself with the major producers of antique earthenware, by studying a reference book on antique pottery. Names like Minton and Wedgewood are much sought after, but their marks are often cryptic and impossible to read without a guide. Bennington Pottery used no marks at all, but can be identified by it's streaky glazes. A reference book will help you become familiar with the characteristics, types of wares and the marks used by potters in different countries and over a wide range of historical periods. It should also have a pictorial guide to marks of different makers.

Look for signs of wear and use. Since antique pottery is so porous, it picks up signs of use over time. Light colored earthenware will acquire stains that are set into the clay itself. Chips around the edges are common. Hairline cracks will show seepage and stains, where food and liquids have soaked through. Impossible to fake, these signs of wear and usage are a good indication that a piece of earthenware is a real antique. They may, however, detract from its value overall.

Learn the difference between earthenware and porcelain. Most earthenware is heavy in appearance, but some makers produced earthenware that rivaled porcelain in thinness and fine details. Porcelain, however, has a bell-like tone when flicked with a finger. Earthenware does not. Earthenware comes in many colors of clay. Porcelain is white.