Brown glaze is a general term for any glossy ceramic glaze coloured brown, usually by iron or manganese oxides. It ranges from pale honey and amber tones through rich treacle and chocolate to near-black, and may be smooth, streaked or mottled depending on the recipe, the clay beneath and the firing.
Brown glazes are among the oldest and most widespread in pottery. In China, iron-rich glazes produced the dark tea bowls of the Song dynasty with their hare's fur and oil-spot effects. In Britain, brown-glazed earthenware was the everyday material of country potteries for centuries, used for pancheons, jugs, storage jars and teapots. The mottled purplish-brown Rockingham glaze was widely used on teapots, while the treacle-glazed teapots sold to canal boat families are known as bargeware. Brown-glazed wares were also made in large quantities in America. In collecting, a brown glaze rarely determines value on its own; potting quality, form, any inscription and the reputation of the pottery matter more. Simple brown-glazed country pieces are popular in farmhouse kitchens and dressers for their warm colour and honest character.
