A Very-Rare Red Earthenware Marriage Jar Made in Whately, Massachusetts Around 1820-1830

Before I get into today's report, I would like to share a citation taken from the book, In Pursuit of Beauty: Americans and the Aesthetic Movement - published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1986: "..."Greek Painted Vases," an article that appeared in the American Art Amateur in 1882 - a time when vogue for these reproductions was beginning to wane - quotes Dresser's (Christopher Dresser) remarks on the lesson to be learned from ancient models: "Whatever ornament is placed around a cup, or vase...should be such as will not suffer in perspective, for there is scarcely any portion of the ornament that can be seen otherwise that foreshortened. Let simplicity be the ruling principle in the decoration of all rounded objects." Design characteristics adopted from Greek pottery, among which flat, stylized decoration with a minimum of modeling or shading was especially prized, resulted in the simplified designs that helped to characterize aesthetic pottery. Facsimiles of Greek terracotta vessels were some of the earliest artistic ceramics produced in America. The first known reference to an "artware line" appeared in 1872, when "the Beverly Pottery at the request of Boston ladies began to copy beautiful forms of ancient vases to order." Charles A. Lawrence, the superintendent of that Massachusetts factory, intentionally limited his production of imitation Greek pottery, for he feared that if it became common it would depreciate in value. He therefore sold it only in small lots to his "artistic" friends for their own private collection."

I think this citation speaks to the importance and rarity of C.A. Lawrence Pottery today no matter the form, need or use. It is in my opinion that this Beverly business is one of the more important Massachusetts potters/businesses employed in the nineteenth-century. The fact a potter was able to achieve the highest standards of traditional utilitarian red earthenware, garden statuary, art pottery and decorative pottery is quite an astounding accomplishment. Charles A. Lawrence kept with the market trends while remaining with a strong product quality. He obviously was not only interested in product turn-over; rather Lawrence's primary focus appeared to culminate around a product line that achieved the highest possible standard.

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In today's report - I would like to discuss what I perceive to be one of the most important examples of red earthenware I have seen made in central or western Massachusetts from the eighteenth-or-nineteenth-centuries. The auction-house, Crocker Farm, Inc. of Sparks, Maryland has been consigned an incredible jar made in Whately, Massachusetts with a wonderful local history that documents a strong relationship between two families. According to Crocker Farm, "...The glazed redware jar has been inscribed "Louisa Dickenson" and "Whately, Lemuel A. Wait." The jar was probably made around 1820-1830 by the potter, Lemuel Alvin Wait for his future wife, Louisa Dickenson. This is the only marriage jar I know of made in New England that was not apart of the industry in southeastern Massachusetts (See Hilary and Paulette Nolan Collection - Northeast Auctions, August 2004 catalog for examples). I perceive these marriage jars made in southeastern Massachusetts to be some of the most important examples of New England redware to exist today - for many factors that begin with an extremely important (incised) provenance. Very-few are known to exist and I would place this Whately jar in the same category.

The Whately jar features a wonderful grouping of incised line work, an ovoid body, flared rim and two rounded carrying handles. The green glaze is attractive with peach-colored halos that were likely caused from iron impurities in the clay. Purely, it's just a wonderful example of New England red earthenware with a written inscription, which only makes it that much better.

Whately, Ma Red Earthenware Marriage Jar

Incised "Louisa Dickenson" and "Whately, Lemuel A. Wait"

Ca. 1820-1830

Height: 10 1/4"

Wonderful Proportions

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm, Inc. - Sparks, Md

 Nicely Applied Decorative Incised Lines
Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm, Inc. - Sparks, Md 

 Wonderful Rounded Handles
Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm, Inc. - Sparks, Md 

Beautiful Green and Peach Colored Glaze
Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm, Inc. - Sparks, Md 

Whately is located in western Massachusetts just to the north of Amherst. It was an area that employed at least 23 potters in the nineteenth-century, who worked in red earthenware or stoneware products - and sometimes they made both. Lemuel Wait was employed on behalf of the Wait family of potters and he is listed in Lura Woodside Watkins book, Early New England Potters and Their Wars.

A red earthenware jar listed on Connecticut antique dealers, Christine Hanaeur and Randy Seidman's website has always stumped me on a possible maker, but after seeing the jar Crocker Farm has available - I think there is a chance it could be related. They describe it as, "...A beautifully formed ovoid jar that reminds me of the shape of (stoneware) jars thrown by Frederick Carpenter (Charlestown, Masss - 18th & 19th centuries).

As I said in yesterday's report, forms sometimes varied inside a business because of multiple employed potters. That could possibly be the case with these two jars. I do see similarities, but I also see obvious differences. It also reminds me of products made in New Hampshire; however those jars were often a much-different form typically made in the southwestern and central parts of the state.

Massachusetts or New Hampshire Red Earthenware Jar

Form is Similar to the Jar Above, But Also Resembles Products Made in New Hampshire

Photo Courtesy: Hanauer & Seidman Antiques - Colchester, Ct

 Similar Rounded Handles as the Jar Above

Photo Courtesy: Hanauer & Seidman Antiques - Colchester, Ct

I would assume the Whately jar will do well at Crocker Farm in July. I presume there will be a group of collectors and dealers interested - and possibly even the Whately Historical Society. Other institutions could also jump into the bidding. I'll update this report in a few months after the jar sells - hopefully with exciting results. Maybe I'll even try and buy it!

 Much More to Come...