WHAT'S IN A NAME? IS IT PINK OR RED?

Creamware Child's Mug/Orange Red, c. 1820

Creamware Plate,  Josiah Wedgwood (1759-2005), Brownish Red, 18th century

"Africana" Pattern,  Edward and George Phillips (1822-1834)

"Peace" Pattern, Robinson, Wood & Brownfield (1837-1837)

"Shiraz" Pattern,  John Ridgway (1830-1841)

Shakespeare said: "What's in a name? that which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet."  Or, when is it pink or red?  If you are confused, then I shall explain.  The original British transferware color called "red" (late 18th century until about 1832) is actually reddish brown or orange.  It is the iron red seen on the child's mug and Wedgwood plate above.  According to Robert Copeland in a talk titled "Prints of Many Colors" that he gave to the Transferware Collectors Club in  California in 2001, the reason the red transfer color was brown or orange was due to technology or a lack of it.  However, by 1832  a true red was possible.  But, the color was called pink!  Every red from a pale red to a bright fire engine red was called pink.  During the 1830s a true pink (or what most of us call pink) was also used.  It is not very common.  I don't know what the color was called by the potters.  Perhaps brown.

If the "Shiraz" plate looks familiar, it appears in my post "Yellow Transferware" in yellow and green.