A Newly Acquired 19th Century Red Earthenware Pot Purchased Yesterday at Nan Gurley's Antique Show in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

I made a mistake a few weeks ago (Saturday November 14th): I meant to bid on a group of American-made red earthenware objects that were listed through Cottone Auctions in Geneseo, New York. However, I mistakenly found myself preoccupied - and, I forgot to bid on the lot. I was rather disappointed, too.

The auction house did not attribute either object in the lot, but I knew for sure that one of the objects was a handled pot that was undoubtedly made at the William Pecker Pottery during the circa 1790 to 1820 period in Merrimacport, Massachusetts. I didn't really have much of an interest in the other object, which I believe was a really nice lidded crock that was likely made on Long Island or somewhere in Pennsylvania during the 1820 to 1880 period.

Ultimately, this lot did not sell for a lot of money - surprisingly, it sold for a little more than the opening bid. When I realized that I had forgotten to bid - I checked online to see the price that it achieved - and, I was really surprised with how it did. I think the fact that neither object came with an attribution probably helped contribute to the lower auction result; however, this could also have been an example of a lot that slipped through the cracks, too.

The reason that I really wanted to own this object made at the Pecker Pottery is because of its size. It stands roughly nine-inches tall, which is a rare size to find a pot in this form from the Pecker Pottery today. They are usually two to four-inches smaller. Personally, I only know of a small number of pots that stand this tall today, which are properly attributed to the Pecker Pottery - two of those examples have been published in past articles that I have written for the New England Antiques Journal.

(Left) 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar - Probably Long Island, NY or Pennsylvania

Circa 1820-1880

Stands 12 1/2" Tall with the Lid

(Right) Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pot made at the Pecker Pottery in Merrimacport, MA

Circa 1790-1820

Stands 9" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Cottone Auctions - Geneseo, NY

Yesterday, I attended Nan Gurley's annual Thanksgiving Weekend Antique Show at the Royal Plaza Trade Center at the Best Western in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Doors opened promptly at 10:00 am. I arrived at 9:58 am. I walked into the show just as it began. The first booth that I visited was that of Stephen Corrigan and Douglas Chapman from Vermont. Surprisingly, there sat the Pecker Pottery pot that I had missed out on a few weeks prior. I quickly picked up the pot -and, the price was basically what it would have been if I had bid on the lot - it may have even been cheaper depending on what the shipping costs may have added up to. Understandably, I asked them to put it aside for me as I walked around the rest of the show.

 Flyer for Nan Gurley's Annual Thanksgiving Antique Show in Marlborough, Mass.

Nan Gurley's Annual Thanksgiving Antique Show - Marlborough, Mass.

Sunday November 29, 2015

This is the new Pecker Pottery pot that I have added to my collection - it has some damage, but in consideration of how rare it is to find an object of this size today from this business - it doesn't bother me, whatsoever.  The only other examples of pots that are this large, which I know of today, are either kept in prominent private collections or museum collections.

I also really enjoy the blackened base, which shows this object's use over a flame or a hot stove in the early-nineteenth-century. It makes me wonder the town or city that it was used - and, where that house is located today. It must be located somewhere near where I live today in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Utilitarian objects, such as this pot, were meant to be used - and, thus why so many of these early-type of products have some damage today. They weren't necessarily cherished possessions, but rather objects that were used in the common kitchen and around the everyday household. This pot was also produced by a northern Massachusetts-based potter, who worked throughout the turmoil of the events that led up to the American Revolution - this just so happens to be an example of Pecker's late eighteenth or early-nineteenth-century production. Ultimately, a very-rare survivor today.

 18th/19th Century Red Earthenware Pot Made at the Pecker Pottery in Merrimacport, Mass.

Circa 1790-1820

Very-Rare Size: Stands 9" Tall

Purchased Yesterday at Nan Gurley's Antique Show in Marlborough, Mass.

 View of the Handle

 Another View of the Pot

 Another View of the Pot

 View of the Interior

View of the Base

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

A Newly Acquired 19th Century Red Earthenware Bank from Saco River Auction in Biddeford, Maine

Yesterday, I attended Saco River Auction's annual Thanksgiving weekend sale in Biddeford, Maine. They had been consigned a beautiful nineteenth-century slip decorated red earthenware bank that I hoped to purchase - and, on first sight I was impressed. When I examined the bank in-hand - I instantly felt it was a museum-quality type of an object. I wasn't sure what the bank was going to sell for, but I knew of a similar example that sold a few years ago at a James D. Julia Auction in Fairfield, Maine for well-over one-thousand-dollars (including buyer's premium). However, I felt this example would sell for less since it was not consigned to such a high-profile auction.

 Saco River Auction - Biddeford, ME

Annual Thanksgiving Day Sale

Saturday November 28, 2015

I ended up buying the bank for a ridiculously cheap price. I had a feeling this would happen since it is a holiday weekend - and, there is a lot going on in the national antiques industry yesterday and today.

What first attracted me to this object was the finial. It's beautiful with all the different decorative turnings. It reminds me of finials that are often seen on fine examples of formal furniture manufactured in urban areas, such as highboys, in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries. The base is also finely executed. This is just an incredibly accomplished product. 

On the front of the bank are a person's initials decorated in slip - they were applied with a stencil similar to a small group of nineteenth-century red earthenware spice jars that are known today from a southern Maine potter. However, I feel this object was made further south in Pennsylvania during the circa 1840-1880 period. I don't have much-else to say about this object - I feel the pictures say everything - and, some - otherwise, this is a finely made object from an accomplished potter.

 19th Century Red Earthenware Bank Likely Made in Pennsylvania 

Circa 1840-1880

Stands 8 1/2" Tall

Purchased Yesterday at Saco River Auction in Biddeford, ME

Another View of the Bank

 View of the Initials Stenciled in Slip 'C F'

View of the Base

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

A Black Friday-Type of Bargain that Happened at the Arundel, Maine Flea Market a Few Years Ago

Midnight officially marked the start to the 2015 holiday shopping spree when retail stores located all-over America opened early this morning for Black Friday. Traditionally, enthusiastic shoppers use this retail holiday to put a big dent in their holiday shopping in search of bargains and generously discounted products. I don't think you'll see me out shopping today; however, I would like to show the biggest bargain that I have ever had with a piece of pottery that resides in my personal collection today.

A few years ago - I was at the Arundel, Maine Flea Market with my nephew, Jason - we had driven up from Newburyport, Massachusetts. There was a dealer setup, who had brought a car load full of inventory - I was surprised when I saw a sign, which read that everything was priced at twenty-five-cents.

We were also surprised to see a nineteenth-century New England-made green glazed red earthenware urn or vase sitting in the middle of the dealer's wooden table surrounded by a hodgepodge of miscellaneous products. I quickly picked the object up and asked how much - and, the dealer replied, 'a quarter.' I guess I thought the sign was too good to be true. Understandably, I couldn't get a quarter out of my pocket quick enough.

I've never been able to properly attribute this object, but I do believe it is either a Maine-made or a New Hampshire-made product from the circa 1840 to 1880 period. There's a part of me that wants to say it was made at the Dodge Pottery in Portland, Maine; however, there is another part of me that says this product was made in central New Hampshire. For what it matters - the dealer told me that it was found in a house in Maine - and, they were also an antiques dealer, who was based in Maine. They told me that they were just trying to get rid of a bunch of unwanted overflow in their inventory.

I assume that some people reading this probably have their own incredible stories with objects that they have discovered in various contexts from over the years. I have a few others that I could also share, but this was definitely the smallest amount of money that I have ever paid for a quality and rare example of American-made red earthenware. If it had been any cheaper - it would have been free!

With that said - and, since it is officially Black Friday - and, I doubt that I will be out shopping today - I figured I would at least show the biggest bargain that I ever had while out picking for antiques in New England. Here it is!

 19th Century Red Earthenware Urn or Vase Likely Made in New Hampshire or Maine
Very-Rare From to Find Today

Circa 1840-1880

Stands 7 1/4" Tall

Purchased for 25 Cents at the Arundel, Maine Flea Market a Few Years Ago

Dealer Said it Came from a Maine Home

 Another View of the Urn or Vase

 View of a Decorative Ring

 View of the Other Decorative Ring

 View of the Interior

View of the Base

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

A 19th Century Example of American-Made Red Earthenware Decorated with a Man's Face

A part of the nineteenth-century stoneware associated with Morgantown, West Virginia that has always captivated me is how that region's interpretation or method of decorating developed into what is seen today as an important industry for stoneware production. I'm sure there are some people, who may say that it is the forms that make Morgantown stoneware so special today, but, for me, it's ultimately, the decoration. And, it's just not any decoration, either - it's the forms that were intentionally decorated in cobalt to take on what I would like to describe as a 'silhouetted' appearance with female and male figures.

These rare museum-quality objects are often attributed to the Thompson Pottery in Morgantown today. Although, a similar decoration has also been attributed to a business located just a few miles away in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, which is found in the southwest corner of the state (south of Pittsburgh) just north of the West Virginia and Pennsylvania border.

There should be no mistake today with how important these decorated objects are, either - these objects are skillfully made; however, the style of decoration transforms these utilitarian objects into high-end examples of nineteenth-century American-made folk art.

The 'silhouette' term that I use for these objects (art style popular in the 17th, 18th & 19th centuries) may not be the correct terminology that was intended by the decorator, but the decoration, in this sense, does seem to take on that type of an appearance - but, that is also just my observation.

19th Century 5 Gallon Stoneware Crock Attributed to the Thompson Pottery - Morgantown, WV

Circa 1860

Stands 15 3/4" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

19th Century 1/2 Gallon Stoneware Jar Attributed to Norvell Greenland - Uniontown, PA

Circa 1870

Stands 7" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

My reason for discussing this type of 'silhouetted' decoration is the result of owning a small nineteenth-century red earthenware lidded pot that exhibits a similar decoration. The front of this pot is decorated with what appears to be a 'silhouetted' man's face. I believe this object was owned by a Maine collector for some-time; however, that does not mean that's where it was made. Recently, I purchased it from a well-known collector, who lives in Massachusetts. The decorated stoneware in West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania are the only comparable products that I can relate to this object today. It seems like a unique style of decoration that was mostly concentrated in southwest Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Unfortunately, I have been unsuccessful in identifying where this red earthenware pot was manufactured. 

There was also a strong red earthenware industry in Morgantown in the nineteenth-century, but there is no indication that this type of 'silhouetted' decoration transitioned from the stoneware products that I just described to the locally produced red earthenware. I don't believe there's any proof of that today. I should also note that the Morgantown red earthenware was also the subject of a detailed report written for the 2004 edition of Ceramics in America, but I don't believe there is any mention of this type of decoration on red earthenware in that article.

None-the-less, I wanted to show this object today in hopes that someone may recognize where it was made. I have also heard some people suggest that this is actually a Maine-made product, too. It has also been suggested that this may be a Western New York product. Regardless, I do know that this object has lived in a few different New England collections for a number of years now, but whether that is indicative of where this object was actually made is still to be determined. In broad terms - this is undoubtedly an American-made product from the circa 1820-1860 period.

 19th Century American-Made Red Earthenware Handled Pot

Suggested to Have Been Used as a Mustard Pot

Circa 1820-1860

Stands 3 5/8" Tall Without the Lid

Stands 4 1/2" Tall With the Lid

 Another View of the Pot

 View of a Man's Face Placed on the Front of the Pot

 View of the Handle

 View of the Interior

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

The Theory Behind Slip Decoration Applied at the William Pecker Pottery in Merrimacport, Mass. in the 18th Century

One reason that I regularly visit William Pecker's (active circa 1784-1820) site in Merrimacport, Massachusetts is the hope that I may discover a sherd with slip decoration. I have, yet to do so; however, it is documented today that Pecker did, indeed apply slip to certain objects during at least part of his career in Merrimacport in the late-eighteenth-century.

In early August of 2004, the important Hilarly and Paulette Nolan Collection of American-made red earthenware sold through Northeast Auctions Summer Americana Sale in Manchester, New Hampshire. The collection was predominantly made up of products that were produced in the southeastern Massachusetts region in the eighteenth and early-nineteenth-centuries; however, that region did not comprise the entire collection. William Pecker's red earthenware was also represented - and, luckily, I own two of the three examples from Pecker's work that were owned by the Nolans. But, there was a third example that was purchased at the sale by a Virginia antiques dealer for almost $8,000. Soon after, this object migrated to a very-important Gettysburg, Pennsylvania collection. The object doesn't have a strong provenance since the Nolans purchased it from another antiques dealer; although, what makes this object so special is the decoration that was purposely placed across the front of the jug. I would also like to note that this jug is missing its handle and part of its neck/rim.

The reason that this example of red earthenware is so important today is in respect to the fact that it is prominently decorated on the front in slip with the date '1797.' To my knowledge - this is the only example of Pecker Pottery dated with slip that is known. I feel this is a tell-tale sign of an aspect of Pecker's production that may be completely forgotten today.

I also find it hard to believe that Pecker only applied slip to one object that he produced in Merrimacport. I really can't imagine that this is the only object that was decorated with some type of slip - it just doesn't make sense.

The meaning behind the date is unknown today, but there may be a reason for why this year was special at the Pecker Pottery. For example, there are a number of stoneware objects from the Frederick Carpenter Pottery in Charlestown, Massachusetts known today that are stamped 'BOSTON' with the date '1804.' Maine collector, Rick Poore once told me that he thought the '1804' date may have declared the year that Carpenter opened a retail store in Boston. It is certainly possible that '1797' may have indicated a year of significance at the Pecker Pottery, too - unfortunately, I don't have any proof of that.

 Early 19th Century Frederick Carpenter 2 Gallon Stoneware jar - Charlestown, Mass.

Stamped 'BOSTON' with the Date '1804'

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

View of the 'BOSTON' and '1804' Marks

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

  Early 19th Century Frederick Carpenter 2 Gallon Stoneware jar - Charlestown, Mass.

Stamped 'BOSTON' with the Date '1804'

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

View of the 'BOSTON' and '1804' Marks

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

If you consider the facts, Pecker must have owned a slip cup to apply such a decoration. Kaolin, the common source used to apply white slip (turned yellow in the kiln) to any given object was also not necessarily abundant in the Merrimacport area or even generally on Boston's North Shore. It is thought today that the local sources of Kaolin, which are found on Kent's Island in Newbury, Massachusetts and in South Lawrence, Massachusetts are not large enough for commercial use; however, these sources may have been ample enough to serve a local utilitarian potter's needs in the eighteenth-century. The Bayley family (circa 1766-1799) in Newburyport, Massachusetts, among other eighteenth-century Newburyport-based red earthenware potters also applied slip to some of the objects that they produced. They may have also used locally sourced kaolin - and, there may be a connection here between these potters (mainly the Bayley family) and Pecker's use of slip in 1797 when the Bayley Pottery was in its final years of operation.

It also may be important to note that the year '1797' may indicate the period when Pecker was experimenting with stoneware - since he was also apparently experimenting with slip decoration. The few examples of Pecker stoneware that are known today all appear like eighteenth-century products, which in some ways, seem familiar to what was produced in Charlestown by Frederick Carpenter and Jonathan Fenton in the 1790's.

 Late 18th or Early 19th Century William Pecker Stoneware Jug - Merrimacport, Mass.

Circa 1790-1810

(Left) 2 Gallon Stoneware Jug

(Right) 1 Gallon Stoneware Jug

Both Are Marked 'Wm PECKER'

 View of the 'Wm PECKER' Mark

View of the 'Wm PECKER' Mark

Never-the-less, this is the only example of slip decorated red earthenware known today that is properly attributed to the Pecker Pottery. I'd like to assume that William Pecker must have produced more pottery with slip decoration than merely this single example. Honestly, it just doesn't make sense to me that he would have only dated this one piece. In theory, there must have been more examples of slip decorated products that were produced in Merrimacport before 1820.

The question that comes to my mind is whether there is slip decorated pottery that exists today that was made at the Pecker Pottery; however, it is improperly attributed to another potter, another potter's business or another region (i.e. southeastern Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, etc.) today.

Late 18th Century William Pecker Pottery Red Earthenware Jug - Merrimacport, Mass.
Missing Handle, Missing Part of Neck and Missing Part of Rim

Dated on the Front in Slip '1797'

Stands Approximately 7" to 8" Tall

Sold for Roughly $8,000 in 2004

Photo Courtesy: Northeast Auctions - Portsmouth, NH

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

A Beautiful Green-Glazed Red Earthenware Jar Made in Western New York During the 19th Century

Yesterday, I mentioned a green-glazed early nineteenth-century red earthenware jar, that I am lucky to own, which was possibly related to another jar that I discussed alongside a red earthenware pot that recently sold at a Conestoga Auction in Manheim, Pennsylvania. The wonderful multi-slip decorated jar, which I referenced was thought to have been made at the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in Rochester, New York during the circa 1818-1832 period. Rather, than merely write about the green-glazed object - and, never show it - I figured today the green-glazed jar could be the focus of this report since I have never shown this object publicly before.

I'm fairly certain that this object was included as part of the output at the Rochester Pottery - none-the-less, if it was not - it is certainly an object that was produced nearby in Western New York during the same period.

This object is decorated in a beautiful glaze. The colors are absolutely gorgeous! In-fact, I have never seen another green-glazed product quite like this specific glaze from a Western New York potter before. I have seen green slips carefully applied on certain objects associated with the Rochester Pottery; however, I have never seen an entire object decorated exclusively in a green-glaze from this region in upstate New York today.

If you look closely - you will see that this jar exhibits a beautiful and subtle variegated green glossy finish with also some separation in the glaze. There are also some areas where a raspberry-colored glaze peaks through from beneath the green-glaze.

The form is accomplished with two applied handles. I also really enjoy the pronounced footed base - bases of this size are not usually found on surviving American-made or Canadian-made utilitarian objects today.

 19th Red Earthenware Jar Likely Made in Western New York

Possibly Made at the Rochester Pottery in Rochester, NY

Circa 1820-1840

Stands 9 3/4" Tall

 View of a Handle

 Another View of the Jar

 View of the Other Handle

View of the Interior

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

A Group of 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitchers that Sold in New Jersey a Few Weeks Ago

I would like to briefly discuss a group of nineteenth-century miniature red earthenware pitchers that I had planned on bidding on at a November 6th auction assembled by Dennis Auction Service in Stewartsville, New Jersey. Unfortunately, my phone bid never came through. I felt that this lot may sell for a bargain price - and, I was correct.

The lot consisted of what I believe to be an early nineteenth-century miniature pitcher likely made in southeastern Massachusetts, a circa 1870 slip decorated red earthenware pitcher likely made at the Charles A. Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Massachusetts - and, another red earthenware pitcher from an unknown American maker.

The auction house simply described this lot as a group of "3 antique glazed redware creamers." 

Since my phone bid fell-through, I had hoped that the lot brought a lot of money so I wouldn't have any regrets - but that's not what happened. This group of miniature pitchers sold for merely $40, which does not include the sales tax or the buyer's premium. On average - each pitcher sold for $13.33. I'm hopeful that maybe one of them will eventually come back around. None-the-less, this was a wonderful group of pitchers that someone managed to take home for a bargain price.

Pictured below are two images - the first shows the pitchers - and, the second shows the pitchers with a brief description of how I would have described them if I were the winning bidder.

 Group of 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitchers

Largest Stands 3 1/4" Tall

Circa 1790-1880's

Sold for $40 on November 6, 2015

Photo Courtesy: Dennis Auction Service - Stewartsville, NJ

Miniature Pitchers With Descriptions

Photo Courtesy: Dennis Auction Service - Stewartsville, NJ

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

A Wonderful 19th Century Multi-Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pot that Sold in Pennsylvania Last Weekend

I believe the final session of the Harry B. Hartman Collection of antiques happened over the weekend at Conestoga Auctions in Manheim, Pennsylvania. This was the sixth installment from Hartman's reserve of various antiques that spanned eighteenth and nineteenth-century examples of furniture, fine art, folk art, decorative products, an assortment of accessories and pottery. The collection was sold predominantly over the past six-months. Hartman is a well-known collector and dealer in the national antiques industry today. The point of these sales was to sell Hartman's collection - and, also his dealer inventory. Overall, these sales were highly successful with very-strong prices across the board no matter the object; although, like many auctions, there were also bargains that could be found.

Personally, I found a strong interest in an object that sold in Hartman's sale over the weekend - the auction house described this multi-slip decorated red earthenware lidded pot as a "19th century Shenandoah Valley (Virginia) polycrhome glazed redware storage jar in good condition with small chip repairs on the base, a chip on the lid and some glaze wear." None-the-less, this object was in decent condition despite the loss of some slip.

Unfortunately, I don't believe the attribution was correct. Rather, I feel this object was made in western New York around the Nathaniel Rochester-school of potters, who worked in-and-around the Rochester, New York-area in the early-to-mid-nineteenth-century. This object very-well could be a product made at the Rochester Pottery; however, I am not positive of that attribution even though this was a typical slip-style that was applied at the Rochester Pottery in the 1800's. Admittedly, I do use the word 'typical' or even 'common' to describe how this slip was applied at this particular business, but I also want to emphasize how rare this type of object is to find today.

For a reference - I have shown a similar slip decorated red earthenware jar below (after the handled pot), which is a style that was undoubtedly made at the Rochester Pottery. This jar is currently for sale through Samuel Herrup Antiques in Sheffield, Massachusetts. You should be able to see similarities in the colors and the slip techniques between these two objects.

I bid through Live Auctioneers on this pot on Saturday; however, I didn't expect it to achieve the price that it did. The pot was given a modest estimate of $300-$500 with a starting bid of $150. I was an active bidder for the majority of this lot, but I backed off when the pot began to reach into the thousands of dollars. Ultimately, this lidded pot sold for a hammer price of $2,700 to an unknown phone bidder. After the buyer's premium (13%) and sales tax (6%) were added - the total came to $3,213.

The main reason that I wanted to own this pot (besides its appearance) is because I own a very-rare vibrant green-glazed red earthenware jar that is similar in form to the example that I have shown from Samuel Herrup's inventory (see below). I thought they would have gone well together. My jar is the only green example that I know of today that could be tied to Nathaniel Rochester's output. The attributions given to these types of jars (see below) are based on professional archaeological evidence that was recovered at the Rochester Pottery site in the 1970's. The reason that I suggest that the pot that sold at Conestoga Auctions last weekend was also made at the Rochester Pottery is due to the similarities that are seen in the style and colors of applied slip when compared to the jar that Samuel Herrup owns. You should see what I am referring to if you compare the greens, yellows and browns.

Simply put - these are just spectacular objects from a region that deserves more scholarship today. It's also a region that was heavily tied to the well-known western New York stoneware industry in the 1800's - and, the important Ontario red earthenware and stoneware industry from the same period, which was also tied to the Pennsylvania potter's industry in the nineteenth-century.

 19th Century Polychrome Decorated Red Earthenware Handled Pot

Likely Made in Western New York

Possibly Made at the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in Rochester, NY

Circa Early-to-Mid 19th Century

Stands 9 1/2" Tall

Harry B. Hartman Collection

Sold for $3,213 on Saturday November 21, 2015

Photo Courtesy: Conestoga Auctions - Manheim, PA

Another View of the Handled Pot

Photo Courtesy: Conestoga Auctions - Manheim, PA

  19th Century Polychrome Decorated Red Earthenware Handled Jar

Attributed to the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in Rochester, NY
This Form was Excavated at the Rochester Pottery Site in the 1970's

Circa Early-to-Mid 19th Century

Stands 10" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, MA

 Another View of the Jar

Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, MA

 Another View of the Jar

Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, MA

Another View of the Jar

Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, MA

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

An Unusual Formed Red Earthenware Pitcher that was Probably Made in Southern Maine in the 19th Century

The object of discussion today is probably going to be the last article that I write about (for now) drawn from a private Massachusetts red earthenware collection, which I have focused on over the past week. The reason I am showing this item today is a result of the rarity of the form. Unfortunately, this object does not possess a strong provenance like some of the previous examples that I have written about from this collection; however, it is a nicely thrown object decorated with a subtle, but wonderful glaze.

What struck me about this red earthenware pitcher is the form - most red earthenware pitchers, that I can recall, which were made in New England in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries do not bear the kind of large lower belly that this pitcher exhibits. It is also interesting seeing that it tapers off pretty dramatically as the form rises from the belly to the top of the object. I'm not going to say that this form is unique (but, it could be); although, it is a rare form to find anywhere today.

The potters of southern Maine have been an ongoing writing subject for me in recent months - I believe this pitcher likely falls in-line with that region today. I can not specifically say 'what potter' or 'which potter's business' is responsible, but this pitcher does exhibit a number of Maine-made characteristics, such as the clay color, the applied handle and the form of the pouring spout.

The Bickford Pottery in Buxton, Maine also produced pitchers with a similar pouring spout before 1860; however, that business' products were typically more refined than how this pitcher feels in-hand. It's possible that the Bickford Pottery may have influenced this form or vice-versa. None-the-less, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a product from another nearby business located elsewhere in southern Maine. It seems to fall in-line with the types of wares that were made in this part of the state in the nineteenth-century.

Any type of attribution is difficult today since only a small percentage is known about the potters, who were located in southern Maine in the 1800's. There are some businesses, where a good amount is known - while , there are other businesses, where basically nothing is known. It is my belief that this pitcher mixes with the theories of 'what is known' versus 'what is not known' in regards to the potters of southern Maine today. I believe that this is a southern Maine-made product; however, I am hesitant to suggest a specific potter or potter's business. Honestly, I wouldn't even really know where to begin since I don't believe I have ever seen this form before, but that may also indicate that this is an attributable form with proper archaeological evidence or a known history about a specific potter's output.

 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made in Maine

Probably Made by One of the Potter's Businesses in Southern Maine

Circa 1820-1860

Stands Approximately 8" to 9" Tall

 Another View of the Pitcher

View of the Handle

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