While reading through a book on early American made pottery and porcelain over the weekend - I saw a similar formed teapot to the one I found in Maine earlier this summer. While neither share the exact form, they both take on a well-known nineteenth century English style. The book identifies the teapot as an important New Jersey nineteenth century maker.
Redware Teapot - Made in New Jersey
Marked by the Potter
Circa 1830-1850
Photo Courtesy: Pottery and Porcelain - 1983 (book)
Photo Courtesy: Pottery and Porcelain - 1983 (book)
Redware Teapot Found in Maine
Likely the Same Period as the New Jersey Teapot
Possibly the Same Manufacturer
Possibly an English Manufacturer
Black glazed teapots of the nineteenth century often bear the name of a merchant. I have seen a few pieces that bear the marks of New York City merchants. I have even seen redware pitchers made in Beverly, Massachusetts during the second half of the nineteenth century that were then sold in Boston with the retailers stamp on the base. It is not common, but it is not uncommon either to find nineteenth century redware that was produced in an urban environment that was then sold at an upscale urban store. Boston, New York City and likely Philadelphia merchants all participated in the trade. Merchant's would travel the country and often the globe to find the best quality products to sell in their stores. In this case, it was not an owner's or merchant's stamp, rather, John Mann was a potter.
The two teapot forms above are similar enough that each may likely have been produced by Mann. Mann may have worked in a few English styles that he used as inspiration to produced teapots in New Jersey before the mid-nineteenth century.
Black glazed teapots were manufactured from Massachusetts and New York all the way south into Pennsylvania and North Carolina of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Troy, New York and Whately, Massachusetts of the early nineteenth century were two of the more established manufacturers of earthenware teapots in the northeast. The Crafts family of potters in Massachusetts saw direct and indirect influences into each area. However, these were not the only areas that teapots were produced in New England. I was taught not too long ago that period advertising shows teapots were reproduced in nearly every state that had proper clay to manufacturer redware. It was a common product in almost every household and sold in nearly all American communities. Therefore, the production of finely potted American teapots was likely much-greater than some would realize today. Many potters are known, but many are probably not, too. There may be a number of well-known potters today that no remains of their teapot production remains, but it doesn't mean there was production.
For those of you who know the name of the Maine potter, Thomas Kendrick - I have heard rumors of a teapot that he produced found in a privy in Maine. That is completely unexpected. Kendrick likely did not mass produce teapots, otherwise, there would likely be a few survivors. He probably only made a small number. I believe the shard shows the classic Thomas Kendrick colorful glaze.
Who is to say that William Pecker did not produce a few teapots in Merrimacport, Massachusetts? It's not out of the question that the potters in Southeastern Massachusetts didn't manufacture a few. There may have been teapots produced in Western New York. All that most can go by today is what is known and seen, but there may be more evidence that suggests the contrary. Potters were businessmen, too. They made what would sell. If there was a market for teapots then they would likely have tried to capitalize and make teapots.
Redware plates, milk pans, jugs and a variety of other utilitarian forms were produced in New Jersey for centuries. The state is most-known today for its successful, accomplished and mastered stoneware industry, but redware should not be excluded. John Mann and Edward Griffin specialized in making black and red glazed teapots. Griffin worked in Elizabeth, New Jersey and to my knowledge, is not thought to have used a company stamp. Each manufactured teapots from molds much like the English did with their forms. Griffin worked from the eighteenth century into the nineteenth century while Mann established his business in 1830 and worked until at least 1850.
A New Jersey auction house suggested this teapot may have been manufactured by John Mann at a 2011 sale. It was not signed or stamped.
English style teapots were common everyday use and some redware examples seen in America today with a black glaze are actually English made.
Could the Maine found teapot be English or possibly a New Jersey manufacturer? Could it be the product of another American potter? Is an Edward Griffin attribution possible? I would say the attribution to John Mann may be difficult with it lacking a stamp, but it may not be out of the question either. Mann likely didn't sign every single piece he made. He may have only signed a few, rather than a lot. Any ideas?
More to come...
See Figure 14 for Mann's Stamp
Photo Courtesy: Guide to Pottery and Porcelain Marks (book)
The two teapot forms above are similar enough that each may likely have been produced by Mann. Mann may have worked in a few English styles that he used as inspiration to produced teapots in New Jersey before the mid-nineteenth century.
Black glazed teapots were manufactured from Massachusetts and New York all the way south into Pennsylvania and North Carolina of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Troy, New York and Whately, Massachusetts of the early nineteenth century were two of the more established manufacturers of earthenware teapots in the northeast. The Crafts family of potters in Massachusetts saw direct and indirect influences into each area. However, these were not the only areas that teapots were produced in New England. I was taught not too long ago that period advertising shows teapots were reproduced in nearly every state that had proper clay to manufacturer redware. It was a common product in almost every household and sold in nearly all American communities. Therefore, the production of finely potted American teapots was likely much-greater than some would realize today. Many potters are known, but many are probably not, too. There may be a number of well-known potters today that no remains of their teapot production remains, but it doesn't mean there was production.
For those of you who know the name of the Maine potter, Thomas Kendrick - I have heard rumors of a teapot that he produced found in a privy in Maine. That is completely unexpected. Kendrick likely did not mass produce teapots, otherwise, there would likely be a few survivors. He probably only made a small number. I believe the shard shows the classic Thomas Kendrick colorful glaze.
Who is to say that William Pecker did not produce a few teapots in Merrimacport, Massachusetts? It's not out of the question that the potters in Southeastern Massachusetts didn't manufacture a few. There may have been teapots produced in Western New York. All that most can go by today is what is known and seen, but there may be more evidence that suggests the contrary. Potters were businessmen, too. They made what would sell. If there was a market for teapots then they would likely have tried to capitalize and make teapots.
Redware plates, milk pans, jugs and a variety of other utilitarian forms were produced in New Jersey for centuries. The state is most-known today for its successful, accomplished and mastered stoneware industry, but redware should not be excluded. John Mann and Edward Griffin specialized in making black and red glazed teapots. Griffin worked in Elizabeth, New Jersey and to my knowledge, is not thought to have used a company stamp. Each manufactured teapots from molds much like the English did with their forms. Griffin worked from the eighteenth century into the nineteenth century while Mann established his business in 1830 and worked until at least 1850.
A New Jersey auction house suggested this teapot may have been manufactured by John Mann at a 2011 sale. It was not signed or stamped.
19th Century Redware Teapot - Possibly New Jersey
Photo Courtesy: Dennis Auction Services - Stewartsvile, NJ
English style teapots were common everyday use and some redware examples seen in America today with a black glaze are actually English made.
Could the Maine found teapot be English or possibly a New Jersey manufacturer? Could it be the product of another American potter? Is an Edward Griffin attribution possible? I would say the attribution to John Mann may be difficult with it lacking a stamp, but it may not be out of the question either. Mann likely didn't sign every single piece he made. He may have only signed a few, rather than a lot. Any ideas?
More to come...
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