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Help With These Clays/ceramics/earthenware???


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Hi, have just joined. What a great web site. I am trying to source some marbles we used to play with at school in England. We called they French Clays or Speckled Clays. Some were up to 2" they weren't very dense from what I remember (30 years ago) so not stone. All I have is a picture and not a very good one either I'm afraid. Please can you help identify them. There was a rumour that they were found on the beach locally, but I thought that was just a myth. They were quite numerous, so I'm guessing not antique or particularly rare, but I have searched the internet and can't seem to find. Please help identify. They were like a cream/yellow colour. More cream than yellow - the picture is not true colour. Thanks.

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Hi dunkyboy. Welcome.

I'm not sure about the terminology. But I did want to say hi.

My first guess would be they were made in Germany. But I'm intrigued by the "French" reference. Hopefully someone here will have some insight.

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Some time back there was this pic posted of a factory in france Looks late 1800's as they are cabinet cards. Unfortunately there were no pics of the inside nor outside with marbles in the pic. Clays were the most common made when they were made due to compare costs with glass. Sorry I couldn't put a date on the. Size would determine factor in worth.

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Latest via other research routes is that they were found on a beach locally (southern England) and had some association with either oyster production or marble (as in the stone) and may have been some sort of polishing/grinding media that was left behind. The local kids found them when the oyster beds dried up and they became the most prized possession in our marble collections at school. Still not sure where they were made or from what or when.

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