A Rare Jar that was Recently Acquired from New Jersey which was Likely Made by Peter Clark Possibly in the 1700s

Last week, I wrote about a rare eighteenth or early-nineteenth century red earthenware jar, which I had just acquired from an antiques dealer in New Jersey; although, the jar was reportedly recently found in Pennsylvania. This jar was delivered to my house yesterday and it is very-similar in form, decoration and size to a jar that is owned by the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, Hampshire, which was made by Peter Clark (1743-1826) in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire after 1775.

To my knowledge, this newly discovered jar is a rare form to find today seeing that this object was also likely made by Clark in Lyndeborough, circa 1775-1826. But there is a small chance that it may have been made by Clark when he was active in Braintree, Massachusetts before the American Revolution, as well, circa 1765-1775.

However, I have never seen any red earthenware from Clark that was properly attributed to Braintree since there is no archaeological evidence that truly identifies how this production actually appeared. I can certainly speculate and say that the Braintree business likely manufactured wares that were similar to what Clark produced early-on in Lyndeborough - and, the Braintree wares most-likely also presented a strong Essex County, Massachusetts influence, which is where Clark had previously trained. Nonetheless, this jar does show an Essex County or coastal Massachusetts influence with its ovoid shape, the use of manganese, the banded incised decoration and the large rounded foot at the base.

I personally feel that this jar was likely manufactured at some point during the eighteenth century, as a result of the characteristics, which I just described.

I was also surprised when this jar arrived yesterday to see how different the glaze appeared once I had it in hand versus what I had seen in the photographs that I posted in last week's article. The following photographs show how this jar actually appears when it is viewed in regular sunlight.

Notes: For more information about Peter Clark, here is a link to an article that I wrote about Clark's life in Braintree, Massachusetts and Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, which was published in the August 2016 edition of the New England Antiques Journal.

The Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont also owns a large collection of memorabilia and artifacts related to Clark --  here is a link to a story that I posted last September, which shows and discusses these objects.

Here is also a link to an article that I posted in June about a document that is believed to have been written by Clark in 1810 protesting the appointment of a pastor in Lyndeborough.

Red Earthenware Jar

 18th or Early-19th Century Red Earthenware Jar Decorated with Banded Incised Decoration

Likely Made by Peter Clark in Braintree, MA or Lyndeborough, NH

Circa 1765-1826

Stands 6" Tall

Reportedly Recently Found in Pennsylvania

See Article for More Information

Here is a Link to an Article that I Wrote About Clark that was Published Last Summer in the NEAJ

 Another View of the Jar

Another View of the Jar

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