Johnson Brothers Flow Blue Ceramic Dish

This dish fragment was found at the Gunson site at MSU in 2015. It's a flow blue earthenware dish, meaning the blue transfer print bled or flowed out of its bounds during the firing process. This style was invented in England in the 1820s but did not become popular in the US until the end of the 19th century. The maker's mark reads "MONTANA" (the specific style), shows a crown, and followed by "JOHNSON BROS | ENGLAND". Johnson Brothers was a ceramic company from Staffordshire that began in the 1890s. Although they had many styles, the became best known for their flow blue ceramics. These were cheaper and tougher while still presenting as elegant. The Montana style on this dish was started in the early 20th century and was likely used by the Gunson household during dinner parties. Gunson was a very popular professor at the institution and routinely dined with students, faculty, and alumni, making him a staple of the Expansion Phase of campus history. Model made by Jack A. Biggs with Agisoft Metashape.