Beach finds from between Penzance and Marazion.
9 January 2020.
4 bivalve shell pairs that are probably all pullet carpet shells (Venerupis corrugata), even the one furthest right which is more difficult to identify as any markings have been worn away.
1 dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) with more prominent grooves than most.
4 ceramic fragments:
1 perfectly weathered piece with cracked glaze and part of an abstract or maybe botanical pattern in dark green.
1 small edge piece, the small amount of blue design that’s visible looks like ripples on calm water.
1 edge piece with leaves and stem design in black.
1 edge piece which could be part of a willow pattern plate, with part of a tree or cloud just visible.
77 glass fragments, including part of a stopper which isn’t weathered to the standard I usually collect but any evidence of glass stoppers to me is worth keeping. Favourite piece this week is easy: the long(ish) cornflower blue one upper middle. The large grey one and lavender ones to the right of that are very nice too.
Beach finds from St Ives, Cornwall.
13 December 2019.
Another stopper, this time a vulcanite one. It’s well worn but I can just make out a few concentric rings which is a match to what the St Austell Brewery used from the 1930s onwards.
A brush without bristles.
15 ceramics: 2 more of those cool grey lines on warm grey material pieces which are common around Penzance too; 3 pieces of white with a thick dark green glaze which sparkles where tiny pieces of the matt surface have been chipped away; cool dark brown on lighter warm brown, glazed on both sides; lighter warm brown on even lighter warm brown, also glazed on both sides; cream partly glazed with red in a scaly pattern; darker cream with white and maroon sun-like design; white with maroon part of a flower; white with cream glaze and delicate black feather or leaf design in black; beige, with shiny glaze and design painted around the form of the ceramic, so it’s like a 3D effect (it’s flat on the other side); white and blue willow pattern; white and plain sky blue; and white and blue willow pattern again – tiny!
25 glass: all common colours except for one lilac/lavender piece.
2… parts of crustacean exoskeleton? I’m still figuring this out.
5 shells with uncertain ID. Closest match seems to be Lacuna crassior.
Beach finds from between Penzance and Marazion.
7 February 2020.
4 ceramic fragments: the usual grey with simple lines pattern, and three white fragments with black, phthalo green, and lilac glazes respectively.
51 glass fragments, no unusual colours, and no brown. Favourite glass find this week is the white/clear one on the right of the third line down, with part of a design remaining.
1 dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) shell, miniature size.
9 netted dog whelk (Tritia reticulata) shells, miniature size.
