EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: A New Black Glazed 19th Century Red Earthenware Pot Found in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont

Friday, December 19, 2014

A New Black Glazed 19th Century Red Earthenware Pot Found in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont

After a long week at work, I came home to my house in Newburyport, Massachusetts tonight to see a box waiting for me on my front deck that I had completely forgotten was scheduled to arrive today. It was a nice surprise! Safely wrapped inside of the box sat a black glazed nineteenth-century red earthenware pot. I had initially felt the pot was a certain form and weight, but when I picked the box up - I was surprised with how much it weighed. This is an example of how photos can be deceiving. I was actually encouraged by the weight of the box because I knew it wasn't what I had expected it to be; I felt it was now going to be better than expected!

My Front Porch and a Package that Awaited Me When I Got Home From Work Tonight

This was actually a bargain of a buy that I found online last week that was reportedly found in a house in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont. Traditionally, this type of squared-off top is attributed to the Chesham region in southwestern New Hampshire and sometimes in the central part of the state in Concord and Lyndeboro; however, I believe this pot was likely manufactured in Vermont. Tops like this have been attributed to the potters that worked in Middlebury, Vermont - and very possibly elsewhere in the state. The glaze and clay color do not really relate to what I have come to know as New Hampshire products - so that is a main reason why I believe this pot was made in Vermont. Another reason I believe this pot was made in Vermont is from the green dots seen on the interior of the pot; these dots were very-likely caused from iron impurities in the clay. Clays with an abundance of iron are seen in many parts of New England; however, it is arguably most predominately seen with products made in southern Maine, but I have also seen it in Vermont.

Vermont is a state that was predominantly dominated by stoneware manufacturers in the nineteenth-century - and with that said and a general understanding, any type of Vermont-made early red earthenware is considered rare today. The Farrar family that worked in Middlebury is arguably the most accomplished red earthenware potters in the state; although they were not the only. There were a handful of small businesses that produced red earthenware products like this in a number of locations in the state. A number of these potters could really use a good in-depth study to define their work; their's still so-much to be learned about this area.

Just for fun - I have posted a couple of pictures of my two-year-old niece, Alexis with the pot - and below that - are a group of photos that only show the pot.