The vast majority of our Redware is food safe and may be run through a dishwasher. Redware that is not food safe is clearly marked on the back and you will be made of aware of that at time of purchase.

SpringHouse Peddler creates several different sizes of Pennsylvania Redware Plates and Bowls their descriptions are as follows

Charger – this is the largest size plate we offer - twelve inches in diameter with a short turned-up edge

Luncheon – an eleven inch diameter plate with a short turned-up edge

Small – various sizes of round, oval, rectangular, etc., smaller than our luncheon plate

Octagonal – a ten and a half-inch diameter plate without the turned-up edge

Other forms of Redware are "Trenchers", Ovals, Scalloped, and Primitive

"Trenchers" – these are large rectangular pieces ( 15.5 inches long | 11 inches wide | 2 inches deep )

Oval - generously sized platter with turned-up edge ( 12.5 inches long | 10 inches wide | 2 inches deep )

Scalloped Bowl Small – a striking small bowl form ( 7.5 inches in diameter with a 1.75 inch lip )

Scalloped Bowl Large - a larger size of the wavy bowl ( 9 inches in diameter with a 2.25 inch lip )

Primitives – take the form of a small rectangular "dish" with gracefully sloping edges ( 8 inches long | 7.5 inches wide | 1.25 inches deep )

Each Plate starts as a large slab of Longhorn Red Clay that is wire-cut, wedged, and hand rolled to thickness. The rolled clay is trimmed to rough shape and draped over plaster or wooden "hump" molds (many homemade). Once the clay has dried and become leather-hard it can be lifted off the mold and trimmed to its final shape in preparation for decoration and finishing.

Sgraffito Designs use sharp tools to incise a design through a color coating to reveal the red clay body underneath. When the design is complete, several coats of additional colors are applied, followed by several brushed coats of glaze. All of these processes are completed while the clay body is still rather moist.

Slipware is a style of redware more commonly used every day. Slip ( water and clay mixture ) was typically squeezed out of a leather pouch through an animal quill, or quills, to make a design on the red clay body, and was usually applied before the clay was put on the mold. After the slip set up, the clay would be laid over the hump mold until leather-hard. Slip designs usually feature colorful wavy lines and polka dots.