The J. Jefferson and Anne Weiler Miller Collection of Folk Art (And Pottery) that Sold at Pook & Pook Auctions in Downington, Pennsylvania Last Weekend

On Saturday April 25th, Pook and Pook Auctions in Downtington, Pennsylvania sold the lifelong collection of J. Jefferson and Anne Weiler Miller. The catalog from this sale read as follows, "This catalog is a testament to Jeff and Anne Miller's life-long enthusiasm for a variety of American decorative arts, including folk art, textiles, pottery, wrought iron, oil paintings, watercolors, decorated boxes, and more. Their collection was not built for show, but was lovingly assembled over the years, every piece with its own story and reason for purchase. Each unique treasure was tucked, hung or perched in the perfect spot in the Miller home, and brought joy to Anne and Jeff, their family, and other folk art enthusiasts." 

According to the newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, "(Sadly) J. Jeffrey Miller died in 2005. Mr. Miller was a graduate of the fellowship program at the Henry F. DuPont Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Delaware. (Afterwards) For the next 20 years, he was the curator of ceramics and glass at the Smithsonian's Museum of History and Technology, today known as the Museum of American History. He was a founder of the American Ceramics Circle and a member of the American Folk Art Society. Most recently, he was director of the Maryland Historical Society."

Appropriately, the Miller's private decorative interests circled Mr. Miller's professional background with many passions that included a love for American-made red earthenware - and, some American-made stoneware. The bulk of their collection was made up of products produced in the Pennsylvania counties and in Philadelphia; however, there were also examples from potters, who worked in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, and all over New England. The subject of today's report will mostly focus on the New England angle of this collection.

This first jug, simply put, is absolutely wonderful. I was actually the under bidder on it. I left a bid of $850 assuming that would be enough - unfortunately, I was wrong; although, now that I think about it - I wish I had left more. It's a piece that I would really like to own.

According to the provenance given by the auction house, the Miller's acquired this early jug from Woodstock, Vermont antique dealer, Steve Corrigan in 1960. It is not cited how Mr. Corrigan obtained the jug, but I suspect the jug was made somewhere along coastal Massachusetts based on the form and the large rounded foot. The glaze is beautiful decorated with green copper flecks. I suspect that this is an early example dating somewhere between 1770 and 1820. If I were forced to make a guess - I would say that it was made in either Essex County, Braintree, Abington or Southeastern Massachusetts.

Here is a link to the listing.

18th/19th Century Massachusetts Red Earthenware Jug

Ca. 1770-1820

Stands 10" Tall

Reportedly Purchased from Woodstock, VT Dealer, Steve Corrigan in 1960

Photo Courtesy: Pook & Pook Auctions - Downington, PA

A pair of related eighteenth-century forms are seen in figures nine and twelve in Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins book, 'Early New England Potters and Their Wares." She attributes both forms to coastal Massachusetts. I don't believe the form that is indicated as having been made in the seventeenth-century in her book is from that period - rather, I believe it likely dates from the eighteenth-century. 

Figures 9 & 12 Are Similar to the Form of Discussion
They Are Attributed to 18th Century Coastal Massachusetts Potters
Photo Taken from the book, Early New England Potters and Their Wars
Photo Courtesy: Early New England Potters and Their Wares, Watkins, Harvard U., 1950

This next jug was likely made in Exeter, New Hampshire at either the Dodge Pottery or the Lamson Pottery in the early-nineteenth-century. I have seen this exact form attributed to Exeter before on a number of occasions. A longtime collector from Gloucester, Massachusetts, Roger Pheulpin, a person, who I have learned a great amount of information from, has even told me a story about a related jug that he discovered in an early context in the basement of a period home in Exeter decades ago.

This piece did very-well in the sale selling for almost $2,400.

Here is a link to the listing.

Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug Likely Made in Exeter, NH

Ca. 1790-1840

Stands 8 1/4" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Pook & Pook Auctions - Downington, PA

This next slip decorated red earthenware plate or shallow dish appears like a Hartford, Connecticut product possibly made at the Nathaniel Seymour (1763-1849) Pottery in West Hartford in the late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth-centuries. I suppose that there is also a chance that it was possibly made at one of the potter's businesses that operated near the Taunton River in Southeastern Massachusetts during the same period. Related forms and styles in the manner that the slip was applied were accomplished in both industries.

Here is a link to the listing.

18th/19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Plate

Possibly Made in Hartford, CT or Southeastern Mass.

Ca. 1780-1820

Measures 9" Across

Photo Courtesy: Pook & Pook Auctions - Downington, PA

I believe this slip decorated red earthenware bowl or dish was a bargain in the sale. It didn't sell for a lot of money since it was given a very-broad attribution of being an American-made product; however, I believe it was possibly made by the Connecticut potter, Hervey Brooks (1779-1873) in Goshen in the nineteenth-century. I wish I had paid more attention to the sale since I would have definitely bid on this piece, but there will always be more opportunities - and, many of these pieces will emerge in the marketplace again in the future.

I have also included a picture of a Brooks Pottery slip decorated red earthenware bowl or pan from Goshen for a comparison that is part of the Lura Woodside Watkins Collection at the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Here is a link to the listing.

19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Dish
Possibly Made at the Hervey Brooks Pottery in Goshen, CT

Ca. 1820-1860

Stands 2 3/4" Tall

Measures 14 1/4" Across

Reportedly Purchased in York, PA in 1976

Photo Courtesy: Pook & Pook Auctions - Downington, PA

19th Century Hervey Brooks Pottery Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pan or Dish - Goshen, CT
Ca. 1820-1860
Lura Woodside Watkins Collection
Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian - Washington, D.C.

Lastly, this red earthenware butter print is attributed to Pennsylvania - and, it certainly stands among my favorite objects in this sale, achieving a strong price of almost $2,700. I purchased a red earthewnare butter print likely made by the nineteenth-century Hollis, Maine potter, John Alld (1811-1865) at a sale hosted by Maine auctioneer, Tim Gould in Augusta, Maine last fall. A print that was comparable to the one that I purchased was discovered buried inside a first-floor wall in John Alld's original home in Hollis when it was under renovation a few years back. I believe that any sort of redware butter print is very-rare today since it was not a common product that transitioned from one potter's business to the next. It also wasn't a regular form commonly found in every early American household - nor, was it a form that was in regular production at most potter's businesses in the 1800's.

Here is a link to the listing.

19th Century Red Earthenware Butter Print Attributed to Pennsylvania

Ca. 1820-1860

Measures 4" Across

Photo Courtesy: Pook & Pooks Auctions - Downington, PA

19th Century Red Earthenware Butter Print Attributed to John Alld - Hollis, ME
Ca. 1830-1860
Measures 3 3/4" Across
Sold in Gardinder, ME on November 22, 2014
Photo Courtesy: Tim Gould Auctions - Gardiner and Smithfield, ME

Here is also a link to the complete listing of the sale with auction results. I recommend scanninig through all of the lots to view many of the wonderful objects that made up this important lifelong collection that was not only limited to utilitarian pottery. Overall, it was a highly contested sale that achieved very-strong results from dealers, collectors and possibly national museums all involved with the activities.

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Red Earthenware Discovery Last Weekend in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

After my weekly visit to Todd's Farm Flea Market in Rowley, Massachusetts early last Sunday morning - I decided to visit a few antique shops in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the afternoon, which is only about a fifteen to twenty-minute ride from my house in Newburyport, Massachusetts. I usually drive along Route 113 when finding my way to some of these shops. The ride generally leads me through beautiful and historic West Newbury, Massachusetts - and, there are also a handful of eighteenth and nineteenth-century homes to be seen in Bradford, Massachusetts, too. The short excursion eventually drops me off at a newly built bridge that crosses the Merrimack River towards my first destination.

The first two shops I visited were located around the downtown-area of Haverhill, Massachusets - and, the third was located about eight-miles away in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In one of these shops, I found a one-gallon nineteenth-century stoneware crock that appears to have been produced in St. John, New Brunswick. I didn't buy the crock; however, I did find it interesting because it was made specifically for a merchant, who operated in St. John. The jug was stamped, 'Thomas Furlong / Wine Merchant / St. John NB.' Placed directly next to the Canadian stoneware jug was an example of brightly glazed red earthenware that I did purchase for study purposes - but, it is also very-possibly a wonderful example of pottery that may be related to the stoneware crock in origin.

If anyone has an interest - the stoneware jug is for sale - here is a link to the antique shop's website. If you call, tell them the jug is in the back room nearest the cash register.

 19th Century 1-Gallon Canadian-Made Stoneware Crock

Marked, 'Thomas Furlong / Wine Merchant / St. John NB'
Photo Courtesy: Canal Street Antiques - Lawrence, Mass.

 View of the Stamp 'Thomas Furlong / Wine Merchant / St. John NB'
Photo Courtesy: Canal Street Antiques - Lawrence, Mass.

 View of the Handle
Photo Courtesy: Canal Street Antiques - Lawrence, Mass.

Lidded Red Earthenware Pot Placed Next to the Canadian Stoneware Jug

Photo Courtesy: Canal Street Antiques - Lawrence, Mass.

I believe the hand-thrown red earthenware pot that I discovered is likely a product made somewhere in Canada in the nineteenth or twentieth-century; although, the colorful glaze suggests to me that it may have been the result of an Ontario-based potter. The form certainly suggest 'Canadian-made' to me. This form transcends into other Canadian-made forms like jars and crocks if you remove the lip from the rim and the handle. Canadian potters are also known today for applying a footless base to a variety of forms, such as jugs, crocks and jars. 

This is also a very-well refined product. It is a thinly made pot with wonderful proportions. You will also notice that the base has been glazed; this is a characteristic sometimes found on red earthenware made by potters in Canada; however, that shouldn't be a true - and, accurate indication of a Canadian-made product considering potters used bottom glazes all over America in the nineteenth-century, too.

The lid appears to be original. The base of the lid is made very-similar to the pot's base. Overall, this is an accomplished product made by a very-skilled potter, who is currently unidentified.

 19th/20th Century Hand-Thrown Red Earthenware Pot Likely Made in Canada

Possibly Made at a Potter's Business in Ontario

Stands 7 1/2" Tall

Measures 7 1/4" Across at the Base

 View of the Lid

 View of the Interior

View of Both Bases

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Pair of Redware Mugs Likely Made at the Same Potter's Business in the 1700's Reacquainted After More than 200-Years

In the summer of 2007, I attended - and, bid at an Americana auction that Amesbury, Massachusetts auctioneer, John McInnis had assembled at his auction gallery in downtown Amesbury. Here is a link to the auction listing. It was an exceptional sale with consignments offered from a number of individuals, households and private collections from across New England.

I remember a handful of prominent pieces of furniture, folk art and other objects that attracted prominent dealers from around New England. A leaping stag weathervane with local ties even attracted a prominent New York City collector. The sale also included a small collection of nineteenth-century slip decorated red earthenware plates - along with an eighteenth-century lidded red earthenware tankard that was consigned from a local home. The plates all appeared to have been made in Pennsylvania with one possible example that may have been produced in Norwalk, Connecticut. However, the lidded tankard was not related to any of these pieces. I really had little doubt at the time that the tankard was from a Revolutionary War Period New England potter, but I wasn't convinced what potter's business. My initial reaction was that it may have been made in the Charlestown, Massachusetts potter's industry (ca. 1630's-1775) before the Battle of Bunker happened on June 17, 1775; although, I also had my suspicions that since it was found locally - and, consigned locally - that it may have been produced locally at the Daniel Bayley Pottery (ca. 1766-1799) in nearby Newburyport, Massachusetts. The reason I suggest Daniel Bayley's business is because it was by far the most prominent potter's business in the area during the period. There were a small handful of potter's business that worked in the greater-Newburyport-area near the Merrimack River; however, Bayley's business was by far the most successful and widely known in this area before and after the American Revolution.

This is a special tankard - the household wear is obvious, but, amazingly, it still retains its originally lid, which is something I have never seen before in either a museum collection (i.e. The Smithsonian, Historic New England, Old Sturbridge Village, The Bennington Museum, etc.) or in any of the prominent private collections that I have been lucky enough to have seen. The lid leads me to believe that the tankard was likely used to serve a hot liquid that may have been heated over an open flame or on top of a stove before it was then served in the same container. I believe the tankard was likely used to heat and consume a hot beverage. I also believe this wonderful piece probably dates from the 1760's or the 1770's.

To put this piece into a historical context: I have never seen another American-made tankard before from the eighteenth or the nineteenth-centuries that was intended to be used with a lid. That doesn't mean they were not made - rather, it means that this is a very-rare complete survivor.

19th Century Red Earthenware Slip Decorated Plates that Sold in Amesbury, Mass. in July of 2007

 18th Century Lidded Red Earthenware Tankard that Sold in Amesbury, Mass. in July of 2007

Photo Courtesy: John McInnis Auctions - Amesbury, Mass.

A Green -Glazed Red Earthenware Jug that Sold in Amesbury, Mass. in July of 2007

Origin Unknown

 Photo Courtesy: John McInnis Auctions - Amesbury, Mass.

Here is a link to an article that ran in 'Antiques and Fine Art Magazine' a few years back, which featured the folk art collection of Jerry and Susan Lauren (there are a number of examples of pottery pictured). For those, who do not know the name, Jerry Lauren - his brother is the famous fashion designer, Ralph Lauren. Jerry Lauren is the prominent New York City collector, who attended the John McInnis auction in 2007 eager to purchase the stag weathervane. He is also the collector, who just paid a record setting $402,500 for an important piece of Civil War decorated stoneware made in New York State at Crocker Farm in Sparks, Maryland last summer.

19th Century Stoneware Church Depicting Four Marching Civil War Soldiers - New York State

Possibly Made in Fort Edward, NY

Ca. 1861-1865

Stands 15 1/2" Tall

Currently Resides in Jerry Lauren's Private New York City Collection

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

The article shows the stag weathervane prominently displayed in the Lauren's living room in their New York City apartment. According to the article, "The Laurens purchased this leaping stag weathervane in Amesbury, Massachusetts. It was from a home in Rye, New Hampshire, that once belonged to the famed entrepreneur, Marshall Field. The maker of this late-nineteenth-century example is unknown. 'When I arrived at the auction house,' says Lauren, 'it was hanging from a string and I had to get up on a ladder to get a closer look.'"

Late-19th Century Leaping Stag Weathervane that Sold in Amesbury, Mass. in July of 2007

Maker Unknown

Removed from the Home of the Famed Entrepreneur, Marshall Field in Rye, NH

Currently Resides in Jerry Lauren's Private New York City Collection

Photo Courtesy: John McInnis Auctions - Amesbury, Mass.

The sale was an exciting event - and, considering I was a fairly new redware collector of only about five-years, I was thrilled to purchase the lidded tankard for a relatively fair price. At the time, I felt I realized a great buy on a piece that I later hoped to attribute to an important eighteenth-century potter's business in Massachusetts.

 18th Century Red Earthenware Lidded Tankard

Originally Discovered in the Newburyport, Mass.-Area

Likely Related to the Daniel Bayley Pottery Co. - Newburyport, Mass.

Probably Ca. 1766-1799

Stands 6" Tall Without the Lid

Stands 7" Tall With the Lid

 View of the Handle

 View of the Lid

 View of the Interior

View of the Bases

I was elated in May of 2014, when I discovered a related red earthenware tankard at the antique shows in Brimfield, Massachusetts - the nicely glazed tankard was offered by New Hampshire collector and dealer, Al Benting of Barrington, New Hampshire. I remember walking into Al Benting's tent soon after the Hertan's Antique Show began promptly at noon. I carefully reached for the tankard that sat high atop a shelf - and, I almost immediately realized that it was related to the tankard that I had purchased at the John McInnis sale in July of 2007. I don't believe this tankard ever had a lid - instead, I believe it was used to serve and consume a cold drink or a cold beverage.

I asked Al and his wife where they found the tankard; his reply was exactly what I had assumed since 2007. It's just what I wanted to hear. Al told me that he had discovered the tankard inside an early home, while on a house-call in Newburyport, Massachusetts, decades ago, possibly in the early 1980's. He couldn't remember exactly what year, but he knew it was many years before I came along.

A comparison of the tankards reveal that the handles are identical. The overall forms and the height of each tankard is also very-similar.

Now, since the Bayley Pottery Company operated in Newburyport from circa 1766 to 1799, it is my belief that the lidded tankard possibly dates from the 1760's or the 1770's - while, the other tankard may date from a later period of production such as the 1780's or the 1790's. That's also assuming that these tankards were made at the Bayley Pottery - and, not at another local business; although, I have a strong feeling that the Bayley Pottery attribution is accurate.

 18th Century Red Earthenware Tankard

Originally Discovered in a Home in Newburyport, Mass.

Likely Related to the Daniel Bayley Pottery Co. - Newburyport, Mass.

Probably Ca. 1766-1799

Stands 5 1/2" Tall

 View of the Handle

 View of the Interior

View of the Base

Someone suggested to me the other day that these sorts of happenings are the result of fate. If that's the case, I certainly cannot disagree - whatever it is that brought these two rare early mugs together for my collection is incredible. Maybe its luck - or, maybe it really is fate - and, if it was truly meant to be - it certainly worked out that way!

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Memorable Discovery of Locally Made Essex County Pottery from the 19th and Early 20th Centuries in a Shop in Newburyport, Massachusetts

I've been told many great stories of terrific discoveries that veteran dealers have made in Newburyport, Massachusetts in decades past. In the late-spring of 2007, my father, Richard Thomas walked into a vintage shop in downtown Newburyport - and, he left with a group of purchases that still shock me to this day. At the time, I was still relatively new to the research world, but soon after, I learned the significance of each of these pieces. It is such an unlikely story. He purchased four pieces in-all; although, I've been told there was actually a fifth piece - and, for some reason it was purchased by a dealer, but the rest of these pieces were left behind. I'm very thankful for that today. The fifth piece eventually made its way to a prominent national antique show - and, it was later purchased by a friend of mine, who lives in Sheffield, Massachusetts. I was shocked when he showed it to me a few years ago when visiting his shop and house - he told where it was originally found and how he had acquired it. For what it matters, that fifth pot was a wonderful green-glazed crock likely made in southeastern Massachusetts around the turn of the nineteenth-century with no condition issues. I have since learned that all of these pieces were purchased in the greater-Newburyport-area in the 1960's by a couple, who collected antiques, who also have strong ties to my parents

This first piece is the only example of green-glazed red earthenware that I know of today that was made by the important potter, William Pecker in Merrimacport, Massachusetts around the turn of the nineteenth-century. It's a remarkable forest green glaze. None of the museums that I have visited (i.e. The Smithsonian, Historic New England, Old Sturbridge Village, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, etc) have a comparable glaze from Pecker.  Overall, the jug is in remarkable condition with no noticeable flaws - it is very-difficult to find utilitarian pottery in this kind of condition today. I've seen other semi-green-glazes from Pecker before; however, those were more of a mixture of the elements that occurred inside the potter's kiln - rather, this jug was intentionally glazed green. I've never seen another example. This jug was pictured in an article that I wrote about William Pecker's business, which was published in the October 2013 edition of the New England Antiques Journal.

 Early 19th Century William Pecker Pottery Red Earthenware Jug - Merrimacport, Mass.

Ca. 1790-1820

Exceedingly Rare Green-Glaze

Discovered in a Shop in Downtown Newburyport, Mass.

Originally Discovered in the Greater-Newburyport-Area in the 1960's

Measures 9 1/2" Tall

View of the Handle

This next piece was also made by William Pecker with what appears to be the original lid. It's basically in mint condition. I can not find a flaw with it. It's beautifully thrown. This is another wonderful example of pottery made at the Pecker Pottery - adorned, in yet, another very-rare glaze color.

 Early 19th Century William Pecker Pottery Red Earthenware Lidded Pot - Merrimacport, Mass.

Ca. 1790-1820

Discovered in a Shop in Downtown Newburyport, Mass.

Originally Discovered in the Greater-Newburyport-Area in the 1960's

Measures 7 5/8" Tall

View of the Handle

This next piece is a  small cup with a green interior glaze that I suspect may also be related to the potters, who worked in Merrimacport before 1880. I actually believe this piece may have been made at the business that preceded Pecker after his untimely death in 1820 when his kiln unexpectedly collapsed crushing him to death. A friend, Rick Hamelin told me that it may have been the result of a deteriorating kiln that Pecker pushed too far by firing another kiln load rather than building a new kiln. I believe this cup was made at Pecker's nephew's business - the James Chase Pottery sometime between 1820 and 1860. The color of the green-glaze is similar to the wonderful jug shown above.

 19th Century Green-Glazed Red Earthenware Cup Possibly Made in Merrimacport, Mass.

Possibly Made at the James Chase Pottery

Ca. 1820-1860

Discovered in a Shop in Downtown Newburyport, Mass.

Originally Discovered in the Greater-Newburyport-Area in the 1960's

Measures 2 1/2" Tall

View of the Green-Glazed Interior

This last piece stumped me for years. I thought it may have been Native American, but whenever I picked it up I was sure it was made by a traditional red earthenware potter; however, I could never figure it out. That all changed a few years ago, when Mark Sample, a dealer, who specializes in art pottery met with my father in my house, while I was at work to drop off an example of pottery made at the Merrimac Pottery Company in Newburuyport. He told my father that this vase is a very-rare example of pottery made at the Merrimac Pottery Company around the turn of the twentieth-century when the company focused on floral wares. On the front of the vase is an unusual incised mark that really was the focus of my confusion. I now believe that it is some-kind of ancient mark the company used when it went through its phase of reproducing ancient pottery.

Here is a link to a comparable, but smaller form that sold at Skinner in Boston a few years back.

19th/20th Century Red Earthenware Vase Made at the Merrimac Pottery Co. - Newburyport, Mass.

Ca. 1897-1908

Likely Dates 1897-1901

Discovered in a Shop in Downtown Newburyport, Mass.

Originally Discovered in the Greater-Newburyport-Area in the 1960's

Measures 11 1/2" Tall

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Green-Glazed Red Earthenware Bowl Discovered Today in a Thrift Shop in Salisbury, Massachusetts

After work today, I stopped into a thrift store in Salisbury, Massachusetts - and, that is where I discovered the following green-glazed red earthenware bowl. I was told by a woman working in the shop that everything in the store is donated at one of their two locations - the first being Salisbury and the second in York, Maine.

The more I look at this bowl - the more everything about it appears correct to me for a product made in Massachusetts, New Hampshire or southern Maine in the nineteenth-century. The interior is covered in green dots, which is a characteristic found on some wares in each of the states mentioned. The multiple green glazes are also a characteristic found on some products made in central New Hampshire. The handles are reminiscent of handles applied on some jars made by Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts potters. The handles are also similar to some stoneware handles applied in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the early-1800's. It should also be noted that the handled bowl is also entirely hand-thrown on a wheel. The color of the clay matches clay colors sometimes seen in coastal northern Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

I've just never seen the form before, but that isn't necessarily a true indicator of anything - I know they were producing a number of odd forms in places like Concord, New Hampshire in the late-nineteenth-century. The New Hampshire Historical Society located in Concord has actually dedicated a special interest to similar kinds of products made at places like the John Farmer Clark Pottery in Concord after 1870.

 19th Century Handled Bowl Possibly Made in New Hampshire

Photo was Taken with a Camera Flash

Measures 11 1/2" from Handle-to-Handle

Stands 4 1/2" Tall with the Handle

Found Today in a Thrift Shop in Salisbury, MA

 View of a Handle

 View of the base

 View of the Front of the Bowl

 Another View of the Same Handle

 Another View of the Same Handle

Another View of the Base

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Large Early-19th Century Green-Glazed Red Earthenware Jug from Bristol County, Massachusetts

The utilitarian pottery produced in coastal Massachusetts is arguably some of the most important - and, influential red earthenware produced in all of New England in a historical - and, a decorative context from the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and the early-twentieth-centuries. The potters employed in Charlestown, Massachusetts (ca. 1630-1775) were the pinnacle of such wares before the Battle of Bunker Hill happened on June 17, 1775, drawing some inspiration from European products that were imported into the Massachusetts Bay Colony; afterwards, emerging industries blossomed in the wake of America's independence in places like Essex County (north of Boston) and Bristol County (south of Boston), Massachusetts.

The wares made in Bristol County near the Taunton River are desired products today; but, none-the-less, so aren't the wares that were made in Essex County. I, personally, enjoy the Essex County products equal to those that were made in Bristol County, but - I, may even be biased to say that I prefer the Essex County products more; however, there are many others, who likely prefer the wares made south of Boston. A decision, such as this, is completely based on personal taste and preference. These two areas really go hand-in-hand today due to direct relationships that tie both areas together through potter's businesses and related families.

Coastal Massachusetts was really the center of redware production in New England up until around 1820 when small businesses and industries began to emerge elsewhere in places like New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. The industry in Charlestown continued to produce red earthenware after the American Revolution, but its production faded around the turn of the nineteenth-century in favor of two successful stoneware businesses. The industry in Bristol County continued to produce pottery well-into the third or fourth-quarter of the 1800's - while, some of the businesses in Essex County continued into the twentieth-century, with a single business operating successfully in Peabody, Massachusetts until the 1940's.

A beautiful large red earthenware jug decorated in a vibrant, striking green-glaze appeared at a Crocker Farm sale in Sparks, Maryland in October of last year - I happen to have regrets about not taking part in the bidding for this particular piece. It is among the largest jugs that I have seen today that were made in Bristol County around the turn of the nineteenth-century. Jugs from this area with this kind of glaze today are normally smaller in size - thus, making this jug a very-rare survivor. The jug stands among a very-small group of large jugs that are known today from this region in Massachusetts. The jug measures eleven-inches tall with obvious damage around the rim and the neck, but that shouldn't defer one's appreciation of what this jug represents. The old saying may hold true with this piece, "If you've never seen it before - and, it appears right - then you should buy it!"

Early 19th Century Green-Glazed Red Earthenware Jug Likely Made in Bristol County, Mass.

Measures 11" Tall

Ca. 1790-1820

Previously Owned by a Mid-Atlantic Antiques Collector for the Past 40-Years

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

Another View of the Jug

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

Another View of the Jug

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

View of the Handle

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

These are among my favorite red earthenware products that are attributed to Essex County, Massachusetts today. All are rare forms - none of which, have I ever seen related styles before in the antique marketplace available privately or publicly. These pots all descended with the families that helped organize the Peabody Essex Museum in the early-twentieth-century. The families donated their homes and most of their furnishings from the 1700's and the 1800's - and, these pots were part of that donation. They were all reportedly purchased locally - and, for obvious reasons, they are all very-rare forms today.

18th/19th Century Red Earthenware from Essex County, Mass.

Ca. 1780-1820

All Bequeathed to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass. in the Early 20th Century

Photo Courtesy: Peabody Essex Museum - Salem, Mass.

 

 View of the Top of the Lid

Photo Courtesy: Peabody Essex Museum - Salem, Mass.

View of the Bottom of the Lid

Photo Courtesy: Peabody Essex Museum - Salem, Mass.

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...