The History of Ceramics brings together British art historian & curator Paul Greenhalgh and U.S. maker and academic Stephanie Rozene as they reveal the most compelling stories from this often-overlooked corner of art history. From the very first shards that shed light on early civilizations, to stories of power, political intrigue and espionage. Famous artists, extraordinary characters, pioneers and rebels from the world of pottery, architecture and design. Full of revelation, insight and practical expertise, The History of Ceramics offers an alternative history to our times.
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Josiah Wedgwood - Part 2 - Turning Pottery into Politics
Episode 9
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 • Duration 45:14
How did Wedgwood combine pottery with politics? Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt to discuss the life and work of potter and abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood who created one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
Dinner Plate ‘Frog Service’, 1773, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Plate ‘Frog Service’, 1773–1774, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Portland Vase, 1790, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Vase (Creamware), 1764–68, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
The Founding of Australia. By Capt. Arthur Phillip R.N., Sydney Cove, Jan. 26th 1788
Algernon Talmage
Medallion, 1790–95, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Vase (Black Basalt), 1775–80, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Milk Jug, 1785—95, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Saucer, 1795—1810 , Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Portrait Medallion, 1775–80, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Vase, Circa 1800—10, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Dancing Hours Plaque, 1778, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons and John Flaxman
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Dancing Hours Salt Cellar, 1786—90, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons and John Flaxman
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Vase, Circa 1800—10, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Teapot and cover (Black Basalt), 1810, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Bust (Black Basalt), 1770–80, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Teapot (Caneware), 18th Century, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Edward Gibbon, 1737–94
Portland Vase, Circa 1–25 AD
Portland Vase, 1790, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Josiah Wedgwood statue, Stoke-on-Trent, 1862–3, Edward Davis
Anti-slavery medallion, Circa 1787, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Josiah Wedgwood - Turning Pottery into Politics
00:01:32 The London Shop and Marketing Genius
00:04:26 Art Meets Commerce: Wedgwood's Philosophy
00:06:12 Global Ambition: 80% Export Market
00:11:29 Countering Porcelain: Creamware vs European Tradition
00:13:09 Black Basalt and the Innovation of Jasperware
00:15:40 John Flaxman and Ceramics as High Art
00:20:03 The Portland Vase: Artistic Triumph and Commercial Challenge
00:22:03 Free Trade and Empire: A Businessman's Contradictions
00:24:34 Radical Patriotism: Politics and Revolution
00:29:24 The Abolition Badge: Pottery Against Slavery
00:35:37 Legacy and Decline: After Josiah's Death in 1795
00:40:27 The Wedgwood Brand: Surviving 200 Years of Mismanagement
00:43:16 Conclusion: Wedgwood's Enduring Importance to Ceramic History
Josiah Wedgwood - A Giant in the History of Ceramics - Part 1
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 • Duration 51:35
How did Wedgwood create one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history? And what fueled his obsession with science and experimentation? Join Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt to discuss 18th century England and the life and work of potter, scientist and abolitionist in part 1 of a 2 part series on Josiah Wedgwood.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
Josiah Wedgwood, 1730—17
Soup Tureen with Lid (Creamware), Circa 1770—80, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Terrine With Lid and Saucer (Creamware), Circa 1800—15, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Platter (Creamware), Circa 1780., Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
The First Day's Vase (Black Basalt), 1769, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Dinner Plate ‘Frog Service’, 1773, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Platter ‘Frog Service’, 1773—74, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
Plate ‘Frog Service’, 1773—74, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Courtesy of V&A Museum
"To see this and all our episodes go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks"
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Sèvres - Power, Porcelain & Prestige
Episode 7
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 • Duration 56:22
In this episode Paul and Stephanie discuss how Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour, and Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's passion for porcelain created one of the most famous and revered names in the history of ceramics, Sèvres.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
Tureen (Japanese Kakiemon style), 1725–51, Chantilly Porcelain Manufactory
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tureen, 1749–50, Vincennes Porcelain Manufactory
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Madame de Pompadour, 1756, François Boucher
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Madame de Pompadour, 1759, François Boucher
Postcard – Sèvres – National Sèvres Manufactory – Gilding Workshop
Wikimedia Commons (French Open Licence 1.0)
Dinner Plate, 1788, Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory
Tureen (Rococo Style), 1758, Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Bleu Céleste Vase, 1779, Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory
Walters Art Museum, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, Circa 1890 Charles Louis Müller
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Bleu Céleste Dinner Plates (Manchester Service), 1776–83, Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory
The Louis XVI Dinner Service, 1783—93 , Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory
"To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks"
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Power, Porcelain and Prestige at Sèvres
00:02:02 The European Porcelain Race and France's Soft-Paste Experiments
00:07:07 The Birth of Vincennes: Defectors and Royal Patronage
00:09:25 Madame de Pompadour: The Power Behind Sèvres
00:13:30 The Move to Sèvres and Royal Ownership
00:14:43 Inside the Sèvres Factory: Division of Labor and Craftsmanship
00:24:42 The Rococo Style: Opulence and Decadence
00:27:38 Porcelain as Diplomatic Currency: The Bedford and Manchester Services
00:31:46 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette Take the Throne
00:40:10 The Most Extravagant Service Ever Made
00:45:59 Revolution and the Fall of the Monarchy
00:48:44 Sèvres Survives: From Royal to National Manufactory
00:52:40 Napoleon and the Continuing Legacy of Sèvres
Secret Formula - The Race for Porcelain - Part 2
Episode 6
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 • Duration 01:01:27
How did an alchemist discover the recipe for porcelain? And why did his discovery ultimately drive him mad? Join Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene as they pick up the story of Europe’s obsession with porcelain and the race to discover its secret formula. Stranger than fiction this is another great story in the history of ceramics.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
King Augustus II the Strong, 1670–1733
Johann Friedrich Böttger, 1682–1719
Friedrich Zorn, 1711–89
King Frederick I of Prussia, 1657–1713
Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, 1651–1708
Plate, Circa 1730–35, Meissen Manufactory
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Vase with cover, 1725, Meissen Manufactory
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Vase, 1710 –13, Meissen Manufactory
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Tea caddy, 1710 –13, Meissen Manufactory
To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: The Race for Porcelain Continues
00:02:21 Augustus the Strong: The Porcelain-Obsessed Ruler
00:06:37 Enter Johann Friedrich Böttger: The Young Alchemist
00:12:11 The Fateful Demonstration and Escape to Saxony
00:15:12 Imprisoned by Augustus: The Gold House Laboratory
00:19:13 Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus: The Scientific Mind
00:20:44 Dark Days: Failed Promises and Attempted Escape
00:28:41 The Turning Point: Discovery of Kaolin
00:31:41 The Breakthrough: Creating European Porcelain
00:41:46 Freedom and Legacy: Böttger's Final Years
00:44:51 The Ironic Twist: China's Secrets Revealed
White Gold - The Race for Porcelain (Part 1)
Episode 5
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • Duration 41:03
How did Europe become obsessed with porcelain? And who would win the race to discover the secret formula for this “white gold?” In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel from Marco Polo’s China to the courts and palaces of Europe, where this mysterious material bewitched all those that encountered it.
Artworks featured in this episode:
King Louis XIV
King William III & Queen Mary II
A late 17th-century engraving of a porcelain room in the style popularised by Mary II
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Porcelain Room, Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, Germany
Marco Polo
Unglazed Ewer (Earthenware) 9th–10th century
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Francesco de' Medici, 1541—87
Bowl with Variation of 'Baba Nakkas' Design, Circa 1500—25
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Iznik Mosque Lamp (Turkey) 1585—95
Courtesy of The Cleveland Museum of Art
Potpourri jar (France)Circa 1690—95
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Terracotta Jug, Circa 1400–1190 BC
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Maiolica Plate (Italy), Circa 1500
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Handled Vase (Spain), 17th Century
Rouen Faience Jug (France), Circa 1720 - Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Pilgrim Flask (Italy), Circa 1580, Medici Porcelain Manufactory
King Augustus II the Strong, 1670–1733
To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: White Gold - The Race for Porcelain
00:01:00 Porcelain Fever: Europe's Obsession with China
00:04:12 The Magical Properties of Porcelain
00:06:20 Status Symbol of Monarchs: Porcelain Rooms and Collections
00:08:34 The Portuguese Trade Route and China's Monopoly
00:09:57 Marco Polo and the Mystery of Porcelain
00:15:02 What Porcelain Actually Is: The Science Revealed
00:19:04 Early European Attempts: Medici Porcelain and Soft Paste
00:21:36 The Failed Experiments: Grinding Shells and Burying Clay
00:25:58 Tin Glaze Traditions: Maiolica, Faience, and Delftware
00:30:02 The Race Intensifies: Setting Up for Discovery
The Ceramic Wars
Season 1 · Episode 4
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 • Duration 51:39
Why were Korean potters kidnapped and held hostage by Japanese invaders? And how did they transform the history of Japanese ceramics? In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene explore the complicated relations between Korea and Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries, and show how ceramics became a major factor in the bitter conflict between the two of them during what has become known as the Ceramic Wars.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
Maebyeong Vase, Late 13th Century
Stoneware carving and filling with white and black slip.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Cropped) - Wikimedia Commons
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Kodai Temple - Wikimedia Commons
Toyotomi Hideyoshi on his horse - Wikimedia Commons
Wine Ewer, First half of the 13th Century
Shigaraki climbing kiln - Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Water Jar, 17th Century
Noborigama, Tokoname - Wikimedia Commons
Raku Tea Bowl, Circa 1600
Ko Tamba Ware Water Jar, Mid 1500’s
Shigaraki Ware Vessel, 15th Century
Arita Ware Hexagonal Jars, Late 17th Century
Shigaraki Ware Vessel, 15th Century
Dish Depicting Lady with a Parasol, 1734—1737
Hagi Ware Tea Bowl, 19th Century - Freer Gallery of Art, Wikimedia Commons
Hagi Ware Tea Bowl, 20th Century - Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
"To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the HENI Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks"
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: The Ceramic Wars
00:01:05 East Asia in the 16th Century: Three Powers
00:03:55 Korean Ceramics: The Beauty of Seladon
00:09:33 Japanese Ceramics Before the Wars
00:09:54 Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Unification of Japan
00:15:10 The Japanese Invasions of Korea Begin
00:18:31 The Enslavement of Korean Potters
00:20:02 Korean Potters Transform Japanese Ceramics
00:23:08 Arita: The Birth of Japanese Porcelain
00:26:59 Satsuma Ware and Korean Innovation
00:30:54 Hagi Ware and the Tea Ceremony
00:37:15 Legacy and Lasting Tensions
Picasso The Potter
Episode 3
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 • Duration 35:42
How did Picasso discover pottery? And how did he transform the fortunes of an ancient town in the process? Join Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene to discuss Picasso’s life in the South of France just after the Second World War where he found a new and exciting creative outlet bringing together painting and sculpture and in doing so transformed the history of art.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
Guernica, 1937 by Pablo Picasso
Head Plate, 1957 by Pablo Picasso
"Tete au Masque" Plate, 1956 by Pablo Picasso
Owl Pitcher, 1957 by Pablo Picasso
Three Sardines, 1947 by Pablo Picasso
Bull In The Arena, 1948 by Pablo Picasso
Vase with Two High Handles, The Queen, 1953 by Pablo Picasso
To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the HENI Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Picasso the Potter
00:00:53 The Dark Years: Picasso During World War II
00:05:27 Discovering Vallauris: A Holiday That Changed Everything
00:07:41 The Madoura Pottery and First Experiments
00:11:23 Working with Clay: Technique and Collaboration
00:14:04 Picasso's Ceramic Vocabulary
00:22:11 Domestic Life and the South of France
00:28:10 Jacqueline Roque and New Beginnings
00:31:42 Revitalizing Vallauris: Community and Legacy
00:34:29 What Picasso Did for Ceramics
Adelaide Alsop Robineau - A Pioneering Potter
Episode 2
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 • Duration 57:36
Who created the Mona Lisa of American Ceramics? And how was it stolen from under the noses of museum guards? In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel to the American Gilded Age at the end of the 19th C to discuss the life and work of Adelaide Alsop Robineau, the pioneering potter who fought to make her own work her own way, and went on to win the top prize at the prestigious World’s Fair, putting American ceramics on the map.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
Cup with beetles, 1901 by Adelaide Alsop Robineau
Courtesy of The Met Collection
Vase (Crystalline)1910 by Adelaide Alsop Robineau
Courtesy of the Everson Museum of Art
Staff of the University City Pottery and Art Institute, 1910
Courtesy of the Everson Museum of Art Archives
Scarab Vase, 1910 by Adelaide Alsop Robineau
Courtesy of the Everson Museum of Art
Cinerary Urn, Circa 1929 by Adelaide Alsop Robineau
Courtesy of the Everson Museum of Art
Stolen Art Alert Poster
International Foundation for Art Research
Courtesy of the Everson Museum of Art Archives
To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the HENITalks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Adelaide Alsop Robineau and the Scarab Vase
00:01:37 America's Gilded Age and the Rise of Art Pottery
00:03:10 Adelaide's Early Life
00:04:56 China Painting: A Technical Note
00:07:20 Meeting Samuel Robineau and Starting Keramic Studio Magazine
00:09:25 Syracuse: A Hub of the Arts and Crafts Movement
00:11:37 The Magazine Empire and Teaching Women
00:16:47 The Radical Switch from China Painting to Porcelain
00:21:50 Learning from Taxile Doat: Porcelain Secrets Revealed
00:25:10 Mastering Crystalline Glazes
00:29:30 The First Female Studio Potter Working in Porcelain
00:30:19 University City and the Dream Team of Potters
00:32:58 Creating the Scarab Vase: 1000 Hours of Carving
00:38:38 Catastrophic Cracks and Miraculous Repair
00:41:35 The Grand Prix at Turin 1911
00:43:30 Return to Syracuse and Teaching Legacy
00:45:02 Final Years and the Funerary Urn
00:49:08 The Great Scarab Vase Heist of 1989
00:52:27 Recovery: David Rago and the Polaroid Evidence
00:56:15 Adelaide's Legacy: Never Lacking in Self-Confidence
The First Pot
Episode 1
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 • Duration 39:31
What was the first piece of pottery that humans ever made? What does it reveal about our earliest ancestors? In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel back to the earliest civilisations to find out how they created the very first ceramic objects and what that meant to the story of mankind.
Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include:
Venus of Dolní Věstonice, 29,000—25,000 BC
Vestonicka venuse edit by Petr Novák, Wikipedia
Source - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vestonicka_venuse_edit.jpg
For the full legal code, see the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/legalcode.en
Vestonicka venuse back by Petr Novák, Wikipedia
Source - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vestonicka_venuse_back.jpg
For the full legal code, see the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/legalcode.en
Fire-Flame Cooking Vessel, 2750—2500 BC
Deep Vessel with Decorative Handles, 3500—2500 BC
Met Museum
Bell Beaker, 2475–1800 BC
Bell Beaker Rijksmuseum of Oudheden by Gary Todd
Source - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bell_Beaker_Rijksmuseum_of_Oudheden.jpg
For the full legal code, see the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/thehistoryofceramics or visit the HENI Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Editor: Alessandro Ruocco
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: How Ceramics Changed History
00:02:13 Clay vs Ceramic
00:04:50 The Oldest Writing About Potters
00:06:58 The Venus of Dolni Vestonice: The First Ceramic Object
00:12:41 How Early Societies Discovered Ceramic Technology
00:15:32 The First Pots: From China to Japan
00:17:58 The Jomon People
00:19:24 Jomon Pots: Decoration, Function, and Meaning
00:25:01 Fire, Food, and Transformation
00:25:57 Nomadic Potters
00:32:00 Pottery as Archaeological Evidence
00:33:12 The Bell Beaker People of Britain
00:35:25 Ceramics as a Mark of Civilization
00:37:21 An Ancient Technology Still in Use Today
Introducing The History of Ceramics
Thursday, March 26, 2026 • Duration 02:11
The History of Ceramics brings together British art historian & curator Paul Greenhalgh and U.S. maker and academic Stephanie Rozene as they reveal the most compelling and often surprising stories from this often-overlooked corner of art history. Travelling around the world and through time, from the very first shards that shed light on early civilizations, to stories of power, political intrigue and espionage. Famous artists, extraordinary characters, pioneers and rebels from the world of pottery, architecture and design who have all played a role in elevating ceramics to the heart of the art world but also into the homes and lives enthusiasts right around the globe. Full of revelation, insight and practical expertise, The History of Ceramics offers an alternative history to our times.
