A Pair of 18th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Pitchers Likely Made in Newburyport, Massachusetts

An important collection of eighteenth and nineteenth-century New England-made red earthenware sold at Northeast Auctions 2011 Summer Americana Sale in Manchester, New Hampshire. The collection had been assembled by a Boston-area doctor - it included many examples of southeastern Massachusetts red earthenware made before 1830. There was also hand-selected examples from Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

It was a highly contested sale from both nationally recognized dealers and collectors, as-well-as New England museums and historical societies. Prices soured into the thousands-of-dollars with the most-desired lot selling to a prominent New York couple for nearly $25,000. Many of the objects were accompanied with very-strong provenances, such as the late Charles D. Cook from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, among many relevant notable names today of collectors and antique dealers.

There was a black-glazed red earthenware pitcher in this collection that really caught my eye - I did not purchase it since I was focused on many other objects, but it is a piece that I have never forgotten. I enjoyed it so much that I contacted Boston antiques dealer, Stephen Score after the sale to see if he had purchased it since he was an active bidder at the auction; however, he said, "Move onto the next piece that you like. There's a lot of redware out there. Everything eventually comes back around." This is advice that has remained with me. It's good advice, too. There really is always the "next piece." I later found out that a friend had purchased it, and it survives in his private collection today.

Northeast Auctions described this pitcher as a "North Shore, Essex County, Masssachusetts black-glazed batter jug, circa 1790-1830." Although, I honestly felt during the auction that it probably dated from earlier in the eighteenth-century. I thought it could be from as-early-as 1770. It seemed to match some of the techniques that were accomplished at the Daniel Bayley (died 1792) Pottery (circa 1766-1799) in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

18th Century Black-Glazed Pitcher Attributed to Essex County, Mass.

Likely Made at the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company, Circa 1766-1799

Stands 10 1/2" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Northeast Auctions - Portsmouth, NH

I realized last week, when I was studying the red earthenware owned at Winterthur in Wilmington, Delaware that the black-glazed pitcher was very-similar to an object the museum owns. The museum describes their pitcher as an object made in "Newburyport, Massachusetts during the 1760-1800 period." That's the same period that Daniel Bayley was employed in Newburyport. Presumably, both of these objects are related. They are basically the same form. They are also decorated in a very-similar black-glaze. The only difference is the pitcher owned by Winterthur is decorated with a collar around the neck, and it also exhibits a little more of a pronounced rim. The pitcher that Northeast Auctions sold was also decorated with some faint incised decoration. Otherwise, the forms are very-similar. I believe these are both rare products to find today that could date from before the American Revolution.

18th Century Black-Glazed Pitcher Attributed to Newburyport, Mass.

Likely Made at the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company, Circa 1766-1799

Museum Suggests a Production Date of Circa 1760-1800

Stands 8 3/8" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Winterthur - Wilmington, DE

View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Winterthur - Wilmington, DE

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