EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: A Recently Discovered 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug that Appears to Have Been Made at the Cain Pottery in Sullivan County, Tennessee

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

A Recently Discovered 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug that Appears to Have Been Made at the Cain Pottery in Sullivan County, Tennessee

History of the Cain Pottery in Sullivan County, TN
According to Case Antiques in Knoxville, Tennessee, "Born in 1782, Leonard Cain started the Cain Pottery in Blountville, Tennessee (Sullivan County). It is believed that he had migrated from the Valley of Virginia. Sullivan County deed records place him in the area no later than 1814. Leonard's sons, Abraham B. Cain and William Cain were also potters - and, William Cain's son, Martin Cain continued the pottery until the early 1900s. Martin represented the last of the Cain dynasty. The Wolford and Henshaw families were married to members of the Cain family, and they also assisted in the pottery operation.

Although the Cain Pottery was in operation for more than 75 years, the pottery forms changed little, if any, over this period. Indeed, once the dangers became well known about lead glazes, many potters converted to stoneware production. However, it appears that the Cains were producing red earthenware forms until at least 1897 (latest dated piece).

Perhaps the glaze most identified with the Cain Pottery was a lead glazed body with manganese splotching, resembling some red earthenware from Connecticut and Long Island. But additional glazes include manganese and iron oxide glazes, where the earliest glazes appear to have been made from iron oxide. Copper oxide glazes do not appear to have been used at the pottery until the late nineteenth century.

Many Cain pieces also consist of incised decoration that include banded rows of two, three and four lines that were applied in both straight and wavy techniques.

The fired clay bodies are invariably reddish-orange in appearance. This was the result of a lower firing temperature and higher iron content in the clay.

The handles on Cain pieces were almost of always the extruded (ribbed) type with finger print(s) or impressions found at the handle terminals.

It has become readily apparent after examining sherd evidence from the pottery site that the Cains experimented with other glazes not (commonly?) seen within the region or even in the American south. Gold streaks have been observed on a couple of pitchers and jugs (see newly discovered jug below) that has yet to be identified by the glaze that produced it. Other pieces have a yellow-brown speckled glaze that was previously unknown to be produced by the Cains."

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Newly Discovered Red Earthenware Jug
I was lucky to have just acquired this large (11 1/2" tall) nineteenth century red earthenware jug that I believe was made at the Cain Pottery in Sullivan County, Tennessee. The rim on this jug is nearly identical to a rim found on a jug that sold in 2012 at Case Antiques in Knoxville, Tennessee, which was attributed to the Cain Pottery (see below). The handle terminal is also marked with three finger impressions, which is identical to another jug that sold at Case Antiques in 2015 that was also attributed to the Cain Pottery (see below).

Interestingly, this jug was just discovered in Arkansas, which is a neighboring state to Tennessee. But this jug is also decorated with bold streaks of gold - these streaks appear to be the same characteristic that was just described above about the archaeology uncovered at the Cain Pottery site. It was written, "Gold streaks have been observed on a couple of pitchers and jugs (sherds recovered at the Cain Pottery site) that has yet to be identified by the glaze that produced it."

Unfortunately, these are the only pictures that I currently have access to for this jug, but as soon as it arrives, I will post another article with more pictures. I also do not have a picture that shows all three finger impressions on the handle. I only have a side shot that shows two of them - and, as a result, I chose to hold off on posting that picture. But I will post a complete straight on shot of the handle soon.

Note: Here is a link to an article that was published in 'Antiques and the Arts Weekly' in August 2010 that focused on the latest research in nineteenth-century East Tennessee pottery. Here is also a link to a two volume book that was published in 2011 by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which covers the production of all types of pottery in Tennessee, circa 1790s to 1950.

Large Red Earthenware Jug Recently Found in Arkansas