A Very-Rare 19th Century Maine-Made Butter Mold or Butter Print Owned by Winterthur in Wilmington, Delaware

I was very-surprised to see a nineteenth-century red earthenware butter mold or butter print while studying the collection of red earthenware at Winterthur in Wilmington, Delaware this week. The museum attributes their object to Maine, circa 1830-1850. It is exciting to see this object since the form and decoration match an example that was discovered in the walls of the John Alld (1811-1865) house in Hollis, Maine. It also matches an example that I purchased at a Tim Gould sale in Augusta, Maine in 2014, and another example, which is privately owned in a prominent private collection in Maine. I cite all of this information in an online article that I posed on November 24, 2014, which recapped the Tim Gould auction in Maine - the following information was taken from that article.

"An exceedingly rare butter print was offered as part of the sale; I had no intentions of leaving the auction without buying this piece. I really wanted to add it to my collection. I knew information about this butter mold that only a small number of people know today - and, it is thanks to southern Maine collector and cabinet maker, Rick Poore that I knew this information.

An exact butter mold was found in the house of John Alld in Hollis, Maine. Alld is a highly sought after Maine potter today. The house was under construction and miraculously found inside a wall was the mold. I feel it would be far-fetched to believe that another potter's work was purposely placed inside a very important potter's wall. I conversed with a group of collectors about this piece at the auction -  and, between all of us, we only knew of six or seven examples that exist today. Even Tim Gould said, "Maine-made red earthenware butter molds are extremely rare." He continued to say, "In of all my years in the antiques business, I have only seen one other Maine butter mold, which is in my family's private collection."

Winterthur Butter Mold

19th Century Red Earthenware Butter Mold or Butter Print Attributed to Maine

Likely Made by John Alld in Hollis, ME

Circa 1820-1850

Measures 3 7/8" in Diameter

Photo Courtesy: Winterthur - Wilmington, DE

View of the Back

Photo Courtesy: Winterthur - Wilmington, DE

Tim Gould Butter Mold

  Very Likely John All Red Earthenware Butter Mold - Hollis, Me

Ca. 1820-1850

Decorated with a Heart and a Sheath of Wheat
Measures 3 5/8" Across

Back of the Mold

John Alld House Butter Mold

  Very Likely John Alld Red Earthenware Butter Mold - Hollis, Me

Ca. 1820-1850

Decorated with a Heart and a Sheath of Wheat

This Mold was Found in a Wall in John Alld's House in Hollis, Me
Measures 3 5/8" Across
Photo Courtesy: Private Maine Collection

Back of the Mold

Photo Courtesy: Private Maine Collection

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