Frequently Asked Questions
Whats the best reference book and where do i find it?
There is a great reference book on Cornish Ware and other T G Green pottery by Paul Atterbury of BBC's Antiques Roadshow fame (revised in 2001) normal UK RRP is £18.00 - ISBN 0 903685 83 3 Richard Dennis Publications. You can order directly from the publisher by following the above link.
There is a 'cut-down' version of the above published by Mason Cash and Co in 2002 that focuses purely on Cornish Ware and the new Cornish Blue range. It does contain a lot of the info specifically on Cornish Ware that you can find in the other book above.
Where can i buy older Cornish Ware?
You are already at the right place! Click here to view our catalog of vintage T.G. Green Cornishware and related ranges
Where can i buy new Cornish Ware?
TG Green were put into administration in July 2007, this means that there is currently no new cornishware being produced and any stock that retailers may have is likely to be their ‘last’ batch.
How can i find out how old my Cornish Ware is?
See our backstamps page for information - if you have a specific query do feel free do drop us an e-mail and we will do our best to provide some insight!
Is my Cornish Ware genuine?
Again check the backstamps page and also the quick guide page - also see the rogues gallery for some examples of fakes that have been hitting the market in recent years. If you still have doubts then do feel free to drop us a line with description and a digital photo if possible and we will do our best to assist. Unfortunately there are a lot of fake items around out there...
How much is my Cornish Ware worth?
This depends enormously on a variety of factors. The major ones are condition (does it have any damage or crazing to the glaze) for definitions of damage etc, Backstamp, Shape and of course if it has a name how rare that name is. For further information and help with terminology see our Glossary & Valuation page.
Why are some names worth so much more than others?
Names mean everything in Cornish Ware when it comes to the value of a specific jar or butter dish etc. Although Cornish Ware has always been produced with specific functional names, you used to be able to request a name for your jar for a specific household purpose, so there is a large variety of names, some only existing as one-off's. Also some products that were contained in jars were by their very nature very expensive, so jars bearing those names are naturally scarcer to find as less of them were commissioned.
A good logical example of this is Cocoa - now commonplace in one form or other in many peoples homes, it was a fairly 'wealthy' thing to have back in the 1930s! Also many of the more exotic herbs and spices again command higher prices for similar reasons, e.g. Mace
Here we break down a list of jar names into 4 categories - common, harder to find, rare and very rare. This is by no means an exhaustive list but helps to give an idea of rarity by name. It is historical common-sense mainly! Some however are rare because they just were not produced en-mass in a generic form - like the "Herbs" spice jar.
Common names: Bi.Carb.Soda, Coffee, Cream of Tartar, Currants, Flour, Pepper, Raisins, Rice, Salt, Spice, Sugar, Sultanas, Tea
Harder to find: Carbonate of Soda, Cloves, Ginger, Mint, Mustard, Nutmeg, Sage, Sago, Tapioca, Thyme
Rare: All-Spice, Almonds, Bread Crumbs, Brown Sugar, Cherries, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Cocoanut, Cornflour, Custard Powder, Icing Sugar, Mace, Parsley, Peel, Prunes, Soda, Suet
Very Rare: Apricots, Borax, Curry, Dripping, Herbs, Lard, Margarine, Marjoram, Pimento Seeds, Table Salt, Washing Soda
I need a lid for my storage jar! Where do i get one?
The easiest way to find a lid is to buy a similar sized 'plain jar' with a lid, which will usually sell for less than a named one. If you are looking for a lid make sure you always contact the seller to get the exact dimensions (inside and outside diameter) of the lid so that you wont be disappointed. They do vary enormously as every one was hand made.
Where can i get replacement rolling pin handles?
Unfortunately these are very hard to come by. As a 'cheat' you could try finding a plain white rolling pin with handles by say Nutbrown. These wont be quite right for the piece but are reasonably similar and normally fairly inexpensive. You can sometimes find these at antique fairs or if you are very lucky boot fairs/flea markets.
How should i clean a "dirty" piece of Cornish Ware?
Assuming that you are not trying to get rid of any staining that has happened under the glaze then this is quite simple - some warm soapy water and a soft cloth will suffice. Dont use a sponge/scourer - its very easy to scratch the glaze accidentally - and try not to get the object too wet. To remove light staining we recommend using an oxygen based cleaning product, this should not cause any damage to the ceramic.
