19th Century Boldly Glazed Maine Red Earthenware Jar
See Caption Below for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, Ma
There is only a small number of these jars known today. I can count on one hand the amount that I know of scattered privately throughout New England. I don't know of any that are in museum holdings around the country. I have no-doubt these jars were all made in Maine around 1820; although where and who are the two big questions.
To my knowledge, there is no concrete evidence to definitively say who made any of these jars. I have heard three names suggested in recent years from various respected scholars in New England - the most common attribution is the Safford Pottery in Monmouth, Maine, while others have said the Corliss Pottery in the Days Ferry neighborhood of Woolwich, Maine and I have even heard the Porter Pottery in Wiscasset, Maine may be responsible. In each instance, the logic has made sense, but truthfully, there are no sherds to decisively say who this potter was. I think the arguments are strong for all three cases. The unlikeliest of the group is probably the Porter Pottery due to the refinement of these jars (Porter Pottery products are regarded as thickly potted products today), but if my studies of various sherds have proven anything to me - it is that I have found there are potters who made both thickly potted products and at the same time, more refined wares at the same business. They sometimes may have catered to what it was they were making and how it would be used. Traveling potters, unknown potters, apprentices and extra potters sometimes could account for the different styles at any particular business, but it was also as simple as some products were intended to withstand more abuse; the jars below definitely were not intended to see the same amount of treatment as other traditional forms.
19th Century Boldly Glazed Maine Red Earthenware Jar
Ca. 1800-1840
Stands 9" Tall
Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, Ma
Another View of the Jar
Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, Ma
19th Century Boldly Glazed Maine Red Earthenware Jar
Ca. 1800-1840
Photo Courtesy: Tim Gould Auctions - Smithfield and Gardiner, Me
This following jar is what prompted me to write this report; I was reviewing past auction results earlier this week from Skinner Auctions based in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts, when I stumbled upon this jar. This jar at one-time had a lid as seen from the rest inset on the interior of the jar. Depending on the style of the lid, we may have been able to learn more about the potter if there were any attributable characteristics - unfortunately, the lid was either lost, misplaced or broken years ago.
If you compare the glaze on this following jar to the jar Samuel Herrup is credited with above - you will notice the glazes are very similar. Both jars also have incised lines; the jar below also has wavy incised lines. I will agree that all of these products shown in this report are more refined than many Maine products, but I have no-doubt these jars were all made in Maine, very-likely by the same potter and possibly manufactured in the first quarter of the 1800s.
Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar with Staight and Wavy Incised Lines
Ca. 1800-1840
Likely Made in Maine -
Stands 7 7/8" Tall
Photo Courtesy: Skinner, Inc. - Boston and Marlborough, Ma
As I have written, I have no-doubt all of the jars in this report are related, but I am currently stumped as to who the potter or business may have been. It's in my opinion that the jars above are some of the finest products made in Maine in the nineteenth-century. Maybe I will have some more information to report at a later time - but for now, I admire the jars. Any information that can be provided on this subject is gladly welcomed!
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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