An unusual Staffordshire agateware ball, with brown coloured veining on a white ground, 6cm diame

An unusual Staffordshire agateware ball, with brown coloured veining on a white ground, 6cm diameter. Agateware is made from coloured clays which are combined to create the veining of a hard stone such as agate. It was made in Roman times and was popular in 18th century England. The clays were mixed randomly resulting in broad veining. Thomas Whieldon greatly improved agateware in the late 18th century by using white clays stained with metallic oxides; the resulting clay was prone to blurring. Josiah Wedgwood used a process to make onyx or pebbled wares imitating natural agate.

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