Staffordshire, England was already a major producer of ceramics when white ironstone china was introduced in the early 1800s as an alternative to expensive porcelain items. In addition to its affordability, the durability and simplicity of design were key selling factors to commercial customers such as steamships, taverns, schools and hotels.
 
The large quantity and variety of white ironstone tableware recovered from the SS Republic wrecksite suggests many of these items were shipped as cargo for the New Orleans wholesale market. The collection of demitasse cups is sized with matching saucers stamped with the maker’s mark of John Maddock & Son, a prominent Staffordshire pottery founded in the 1830s.
 
Whereas every effort has been made to choose the best examples of shipwreck artifacts for our collectors, some blemishes and imperfections will be evident due to the harsh conditions the pieces have been subjected to during their years in the deep ocean.