I have lots of collections.  ????   That’s probably an understatement.  But, my antique spongeware collection is probably one of my most favorite.  I get asked a ton of questions when I show this collection over on social media stories.   What is the name of it?  Where do you find all of your pieces?  How long have you collected it?  I figured I would not only answer some of those questions in this post, but also show you close-ups.  And, share with you that I brought home two pieces from our trip to North Carolina.  

My Antique Spongeware Collection

I wish I knew more of the history of these pieces.  If you know anything about this collection, comment below.  I believe it is from the victorian era which would be late 1800s… which makes me love them even more.  Can you imagine how much of this has been broken and thrown away?  I started this collection around 10 years ago, unlike a few of my other collections which started in my early 20s.  I have found pieces at flea markets and antique stores.  But a lot of times, I search Etsy, Ebay, and Mercari and find it, too.  My searches are usually for “antique spongeware with gold rim” or “antique spatterware with gold rim.”  

The gold rim happens to be my FAVORITE part of these pieces.  The base color is a creamy yellow with bluish green spongeware lines.   Some of the pieces have a fancier edge around it and others are plain.  I wonder why???  That always intrigues me. As you can see, my pieces aren’t in perfect condition which doesn’t bother me at all.  The large on on the top right actually came broken in the mail.  We, of course, got a full refund.  But, we decided to glue it all back together.

Did you see my sugar canister?  I believe I found that piece on Etsy.  The lid must have been broken throughout the years and someone made a wooden top for it.  It is one of my favorite pieces.. along with the one on the bottom with the handle.  I’m not sure if that is a commode…???  But, I love it. 

This larger piece that I added my antique clay marbles to is one of the pieces that I found on the trip.  Along with the middle one on the very top of this cabinet.  Those are the only two pieces that we found on our antique searches in North Carolina.  They are getting fewer and farther between.  

Let me know if you collection this type of spongeware. 

I would love to hear about your personal collection.  And again… if you know anything more about these antique spongeware dishes, comment below.