Beautiful pottery was among the greatest advancements of pottery history, and among the best-selling wares was Dedham Pottery, produced right here on the New England frontier. You probably know Dedham Pottery: that durable, easy-to-clean tableware with that distinctive blue-black crackle and foliage border of red fauna and flora. If you love hand-painted pottery, you may be a devotee of this town's potters. Dedham is known for its quality pottery because of the abundance of rich fields of clay and sand that allow potters to make their wares from different types of terracotta and hardwood.

The history of Dedham Pottery is the oldest known, and dates back to the colonial era. A man named Richard Taylor was the first recorded buyer of this pottery. He brought it home from Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked as a clerk for the U.S. Customs Service. While there, he developed his expertise and started a business in Dedham, selling tea and coffee to the military men stationed there. In this way, he would acquire the kitchenware necessary for his burgeoning business.

Two centuries later, in the middle of the 20th century, Richard Taylor was living in France when he was approached by representatives of a company that wanted him to develop a line of cookingware. He was reluctant, but was told that they had discovered an old factory in England that manufactured high-quality rabbit hosiery that they intended to distribute all over the world. Their first production came in a small warehouse, which proved to be too small for the grand scheme they had planned. This was a problem, since many English entrepreneurs were unwilling to invest large sums of money into unprofitable ventures. Nevertheless, they continued their attempts to perfect the mass-produced rabbit hosiery, which meant that the factory was never completely closed down. By the time of his death in 1900, however, the company was well established and producing a wide variety of pottery products for American consumers.

The most famous of Dedham potters, Edwardian master cooper builder John Richard Shepherd had a passion for creating unique, hand-crafted pieces. His shop, which he built on the site of his farm, became a central point for music, food, pottery and other crafts. On weekends, he and his wife, Polly Smith, entertained guests at their home, which became a popular venue for musical concerts, quilting projects and family dinners. Today, the studio where the original masterpieces were created still exists, and a section has been devoted to preserving the history of dedham pottery.

Dedham pottery master Paula Roddick specializes in creating beautiful, full-color reproductions of her most highly acclaimed creations. Her pieces can be found in a variety of venues ranging from traditional galleries and museums to online outlets. In addition to her many highly successful solo exhibitions and group exhibitions around the world, Paula regularly serves as an instructor and mentor at various conferences and art fairs. For this reason, her art pieces are widely considered among the best in the world. For anyone who desires to own high quality artwork, but cannot afford traditional forms of art appreciation, Dedham Roddick's creations are a perfect alternative.

As mentioned above, Dedham pottery master Paula Roddick is widely considered an expert in the decorative arts. But what makes her pieces so enticing to collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide is the fact that Paula crafts her impressive collections out of authentic glazes that have been used for hundreds of years and have specific dedham pottery marks. By crafting her items from these authentic glazes, Paula creates a product that is both beautiful and durable. With her impressive resume and impressive list of accomplishments, you can be sure that the money that you spend on Dedham dinnerware serving pieces will not go to waste. Instead, you can be ensured that your money will go to good use.