EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: A 19th Century Red Earthenware Colander and Similarities to Pottery Made in Greene County, Tennessee

Monday, June 5, 2017

A 19th Century Red Earthenware Colander and Similarities to Pottery Made in Greene County, Tennessee

This is a rare red earthenware colander that I have previously written about that I thought may have been made in Western New York or Ontario, circa 1840-1880. However, I have also wondered if this could have been made in East Tennessee, as well, which is an idea that I would like to explore today.

I purchased this colander last fall from a group antique shop in southern Vermont; although, I was also told that the dealers, whom I purchased this from were based in upstate New York, and they bought what they sold from all over the place. The shop could not provide me with a lot of information into where this object was discovered even though they felt it was not found in Vermont or elsewhere in New England. But they did suggest that it was likely found somewhere in upstate New York.

Understandably, a colander is a rare form to find today from any American utilitarian potter, which also makes an attribution difficult. Nevertheless, the unusual bright glaze is what really stands out to me about this object. I have also noticed that the glaze on this colander appears similar to some glazes that were produced in Greene County, Tennessee before 1862.

The Greene County glaze that I am referencing was described in 2011 when Crocker Farm in Sparks, Maryland sold a rare jug that was decorated with a "copper slip decoration that had been applied over a light orange ground." I feel this is the same description that can be used for the glaze that is seen on this colander. The copper slip also ran on the jug that Crocker Farm sold due to how it was applied, whereas, a similar technique can also be seen on this colander. Overall, the glazes appear to be a close match to each other.

This colander's handles are also similar to some handles that were produced in Greene County; although, the Green County handles were often made with a thumb impression or a stamp at the handle terminal. This colander's handles do not show any kind of thumb impression or stamp.

The most prominent business in Greene County by what is known today was likely the company that was owned by Christopher Alexander Haun (1821-1861) around the mid-nineteenth century. Although, the manufacture of red earthenware in this area does date to the circa 1820 period, and possibly as early as the early nineteenth century.

According to the book, 'Tennessee Potteries, Pots and Potters, 1790s to 1950, Volume 1,' "By 1860 at least five known potters were living near Christopher Alexander Haun, and their collective presence seems to account for the wording on some surviving vessels marked 'C.A. HAUN & CO.' The individuals who apparently worked with Haun included his brother Lewis Haun, William and Jacob Hinshaw, Jonathan Morgan, and John Alexander Lowe. Whatever the exact nature of this association, it was completely disrupted by the events surrounding the November 1861 pro-Union burning of railroad bridges in East Tennessee. The railroad bridge across Lick Creek, a little more than two miles from the site of the Haun Pottery was burned the night of November 8, 1861, and within a short time five local residents/potters identified as participating in this event were captured, tried and hanged by Confederate officials. Haun was the among the dead."

An important ring bottle was sold by Case Antiques in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2014, which was decorated with a similar copper slip glaze over a light orange ground. But it was also decorated with an impressed decoration that was created with a tread stamp and a coggle wheel. The impressed decoration was also a major characteristic in identifying this object's maker since a matching style of decoration is found on the handle terminals from some jars, which were made at the Haun Pottery. This is also the only form of this kind that is currently known from Greene County - it is kept today in the William C. and Susan S. Mariner Collection at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in North Carolina.

To my knowledge: colanders have never been accurately tied to any potter or potter's business in East Tennessee, especially in Greene County. The forms that were regularly produced in Greene County included crocks, dishes, jugs, pitchers and honey pots.

Note: This essay is why an argument may be developed today for this colander to have been produced in East Tennessee in the 1800s; although, there are also arguments that can be made for potters in Western New York and Ontario. But I also want to mention that I have only seen this type of running copper slip glaze in Tennessee versus what I have studied about similar glazes in New York and Ontario. With all of this said, it would be interesting to hear some feedback from those, who have handled Greene County, Tennessee red earthenware decorated with this type of glaze. Thoughts?

19th Century Red Earthenware Colander Found Last Year in Vermont