Take a peek into our collections! – Bargeware and commemorative cups

Go to slide:

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3

With a distinctive brown glaze and sprigged floral decoration, Measham Potteryware (or Bargeware) was popular in the Victorian period. It was produced in Derbyshire and the legend is that canal men who passed through Measham would put their orders in for gifts and would pick them up on their way back through.

What makes Measham Bargeware interesting is that teapots and other ceramics could be personalised with names and dates stamped on the ribbon design. The option to personalise Bargeware meant it was a popular gift for special occasions such as marriages and christenings. These objects are relatively unique in that the person’s history is recorded alongside the object history, giving us another layer of information to help bring the object to life.