Thomas Toft

Thomas Toft (died November 1698) was an English potter working in the Staffordshire Potteries during the 17th century.

The Staffordshire potters were at that time known for the excellence of their slipware; a kind of coarse earthenware decorated with a coloured clay and water mixture of cream-like consistency called slip.

Designs attributed to Thomas Toft include mermaids, unicorns, pelicans, but also King Charles II and his wife Queen Catherine of Braganza, and numerous coats of arms.

The Toft style, combined with the slip trailing technique, was firmly established in the Staffordshire area by the middle of the seventeenth century.

Examples of his work can be found in: Ireland United Kingdom United States Three tiny fragments of Toft pottery including a shard inscribed '...OFT' were found three feet below ground at the corner of Stafford Street and Trinity Street, Hanley in 1953.

Ralph's name appears on many typical Toft-style dishes decorated with a double-headed eagle, cavaliers and ladies, or with a mermaid, two being dated 1676 and 1766.