This slipware cradle was probably made as a wedding present to wish a couple good fortune in their future family.  It is called slipware because the potter has dotted and trailed liquid clay, known as slip, to create patterns. Many new types of pottery developed in Britain during the 1700s – including tin-glazed and lead-glazed earthenware and salt-glazed stoneware. You’ll find examples of all these types of pottery in the Harris collection.