Staffordshire Bone

22 Dec, 2005 in art pottery by admin

Staffordshire Bone

American Staffordshire Terrier Dog Breed Tips And Info

The American Staffordshire Terrier, also sometimes called Amstaff, is a medium-sized dog breed with good family values. It fits nicely as a pet, and works well together with older more considerate children as well as other animals. It is a relative of the American Pit Bull Terrier, and was brought to the US with the British and Irish settlers, more specifically after the Civil war. Animal fights, with larger animals such as Bulls, were popular in the 1830's, but became illegal in old Britain and Ireland because of the Human Ethics Act.

People then began to organize rat fights and dog fights instead, since they were much easier to hide from the officials. The American Staffordshire Terrier has a very large bone structure, head size and it weighs a lot, therefore fitting perfectly in this sport. Their body is very athletic, robust and compact. Still today these fights are arranged, but they are not as common as they were before. The American Staffordshire Terrier breed was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. They are a member of the Terrier and Molosser groups.

American Staffordshire Terriers are confident, laid back, and easygoing. They are also in general good natured, although best for those with some experience of dog ownership. Despite their calm style of life it is important to remember that they were bred to be aggressive towards other dogs, and they may still sometimes act based upon those ancient instincts. Their attitude and reaction when it comes to strangers varies, sometimes they can be friendly, at other times they can be very aggressive. The lifespan of the American Staffordshire Terrier is around 10-12 years. There are some health problems associated with this breed, including eye problems, ligament problems, thyroid disorders, cancer, temperament problems, and cataracts.

The American Staffordshire Terrier has a broad, powerful head, short muzzle, very strong jaws. Their ears are generally cropped. Their eyes are round and black. All colours are accepted, as long as they are not more than 80% white. The American Staffordshire Terrier is a general happy, stable and confident breed, as well as loyal companion dog. As quoted from unknown source "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion".

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For more information on the American Staffordshire Terrier or a full list of dog breeds take a look at this Dog Training website.

I have just picked up a pretty little bone china plate from an op shop. Where can I read about bone china?

In particular, 'Staffordshire Bone China Est 1801 England's Bouquet. '

Hello,
First off Congratulations on purchasing a piece of fine handcrafetd English Bone China. Your piece was made by the "Crown Staffordshire" (Royal Staffordshire) porcelain company, which reached a peak in its quality and production c.1920-1950. They produced fine Bone China in the "neatest fashion" and were considered competitors to the mid range products by companies such as Copeland Spode, Royal Albert, Paragon China, Coalport and Even Royal Doulton. Sadly when Josiah Wedgwood and Sons went on their "buying rampage" and purchased all of the little companies, they absorbed Crown Staffordshire along with the acquisition of the Coalport China Works. The name "Crown Staffordshire" was used until the 1980s, as only a name brand line among the family of Wedgwood Companies.

The company could trace its history back to Thomas Green who was employed at a Burleigh pottery factory in 1790, he officially founded his "Churchill Works" in the fall of 1795, with full scale production of quality wares only starting at the Minerva Works (the site where Crown Staffordshire operated from until the 1950s) in the early 1820s.

A good site for reference on English Bone China (which by the way is really made with Calcined Bone Ash) would be the Spode Museum and Trust site http://www.spode.co.uk/history/history_main_new.html (after all Josiah Spode did "invent" the recipe for Bone China) and also the Royal Worcester Museum Site http://www.worcesterporcelainmuseum.org.uk/ .
As for information on Crown Staffordshire, I actually think the best info on them can only be found in some of the published works on English Ceramics (W.B Honey's "Old English Porcelain" is a great start, as is G. Godden's encyclopedia on English porcelain manufacturers).
I hope this helps you to not only know more about your piece, but also appreciate its history and beauty even more. Merry Christmas!

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppy playing with his bone