Pottery can be decorated using a sponge. The resulting pattern is known as sponged decoration and the technique is known as sponging. In central Europe and in England, the effect was originally achieved by stamping patterns onto faience or refined white earthenware (e.g. Utzschneider & Cie., Sarreguemines: Gauvin/Becker 2007, 29); in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the technique was adopted before the mid-18^th century and used in the production of local earthenware (Bäriswil products, archaeological finds from Bern).  Because elephant ear sponges were particularly absorbent, they were particularly popular among potters. From around 1840/1845, pottery factories in England began to use (and sell) sponges cut into patterns. In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, cut-sponge decoration became popular on simple earthenware crockery from the mid-19^th century onwards (in the Langnau and Heimberg-Steffisburg regions).

10^th December 1880, Täglicher Anzeiger für Thun und das Berner Oberland.

Bunzlau ware from Silesia (Germany; now Poland) was particularly well-known for its cut-sponge decoration (Spindler 1997).

Translation Sandy Haemmerle

German: Schwammdekor, Schwämmeldekor, Schwämmeln

French: décor à l’éponge, empreintes d’éponges, tamponné à l’éponge

References:

Henri Gauvin/Jean-Jacques Becker, Cent ans de faïences populaires peintes à Sarreguemines et à Digoin, Sarreguemines 2007.

Heege/Kistler 2017
Andreas Heege/Andreas Kistler, Keramik aus Langnau. Zur Geschichte der bedeutendsten Landhafnerei im Kanton Bern (Schriften des Bernischen Historischen Museums 13), Bern 2017, bes. 171-177.

Kelly/Kowalsky/Kowalsky 2001
Henry E. Kelly/Arnold A. Kowalsky/Dorothy E. Kowalsky, Spongeware 1835-1935. Makers, Marks and Patterns, Atglen 2001.

Spindler 1997
Konrad Spindler, Zum Beginn des Schwämmelns in Bunzlau, in: Nearchos 5, 1997, 123-136.