An Interesting 19th Century Red Earthenware Planter Found in Searsport, Maine

This morning, I drove up to the mid-coast of Maine for an auction that was happening at 10:00am. It was nearly a four-hour drive for me. I am going to spare the details of this auction; i.e. place, location, collection…etc. - but I will say I had an absolutely incredible day. It was the type of day that you dream of when you do what I do; however on my way home, I discovered a very interesting red earthenware planter made into the form of a tree trunk. It is definitely from the nineteenth-century. It was completely hand-turned - and then hand-decorated with incising on the exterior. There is some glaze-residue on parts of the planter, but other parts appear to have been painted different shades of brown. The glaze is only seen where the holes appear. It's actually a brown glaze, which was a pretty common glaze for Maine potters. I have seen similar tree trunk decoration with vivid colors made into the form of teapots from English potters in the nineteenth-century before; although I do believe this planter to be a similar imitation of those products from possibly a Maine potter. I do not know what business or potter made the tree trunk planter, but a local potter is possible since the antiques dealer told me it was found in a local home in Searsport, Maine. This particular shop was also in Searsport.

An Antique Shop I Stopped at in Searsport, Me

I Visited This Shop After Leaving the Auction

The weight and clay color are both correct for what is expected of nineteenth-century Maine red earthenware products. I can't recall ever having seen anything like this before properly attributed to Maine, but it would make sense considering the shift in focus the potter's industry made in the state at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution (1860s). The shift forced potters to focus more towards garden products rather than utilitarian wares. This is very possibly an example of those garden products - with a potter's very fascinating interpretation.

 19th Century Red Earthenware Planter Found in Searsport, Me

The Planter Was Possibly Made by a Maine Potter

Stands 7 3/4" Tall

 Another Angle of the Red Earthenware Planter

 It Has Been Painted and Glazed Brown

 The Interior of the Hand-Turned Planter

The Base of the Planter

Please Stay Tuned…Much More to Come...