Behind that curtain sat a nineteenth-century Albany slip glazed hand-thrown maple syrup stoneware jug that stood just under eleven-inches tall. I probably stood there for about five-minutes examining the way this jug was manufactured by the potter. I could clearly tell from how the base appeared that the jug seemed to be under-fired when it was in the kiln - rather, than a palish colored clay normally seen on most American-made stoneware products today - the base, in this case, appeared reddish in color.
I asked the woman working in the shop if she knew where the jug was found or if it had any kind of history; unfortunately, she did not know much. She told me it wasn't her's, but she did tell me that most of the shop's inventory comes from local dealers, who find a lot of their inventory in the nearby area.
The reason I was so interested in this jug is because of how it was made - the manner in which the jug's handle is attached just below the rim and the spout is very-similar (if not exactly) to how a number of handled red earthenware forms were made a few miles away at the William Pecker Pottery (circa 1790-1820) in nearby Merrimacport (formerly West Amesbury), Massachusetts. The placement or location of the double incised decorative lines are also placed in a very similar position similar to those that were added to red earthenware jugs also made at the Pecker Pottery. I have even seen a number of sherds, including an actual example of stamped William Pecker stoneware that is adorned in an exterior Albany (brown) slip glaze. The manufacture of the handle is also similar to handled wares made in Merrimacport; however, the form of the jug does not correspond with what was happening with the stoneware potter's industry during this period. Jugs and crocks were commonly formed by the potter to resemble an ovoid shape with a rounded belly. This jug doesn't really fit into that category; however, I wouldn't really define it as a straight-sided form either, which was a style that became popular with American stoneware potters later in 1800's. It seems to lay in between both styles.
Personally, I do not know where exactly this jug was made, but I certainly do find it very-interesting that it shares so many features with products that were made at the William Pecker Pottery before 1820. After Pecker's death, his potter's legacy was continued by his nephew, James Chase and his family name. This is a potter's business that not a lot is known about today - despite, the Chase family successfully producing pottery in Merrimacport from the time of Pecker's death into the 1880's. It's certainly possible that since Pecker was able to successfully produce stoneware in Merrimacport on a small scale that the production of stoneware may have happened at the Chase Pottery, too.
19th Century Albany Slip Glazed Stoneware Jug
Ca. 1840-1870's
Stands 10 3/4" Tall
Purchased Yesterday in Haverhill, Massachusetts
Another View of the Jug
View of the Handle Attachment
Another View of the Handle Attacment
View of the Rim and the Spout
Another View of the Rim and the Spout
View of the Handle
View of the Base
For more about the Chase Family Pottery in Merrimacport, Massachusetts - I suggest reading this article that I wrote for the New England Antiques Journal, which was published in October of 2014.
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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