A Green-Glazed Sherd Recovered in Charlestown, Massachusetts

I have previously written about a distinctive late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century southeastern Massachusetts red earthenware sherd recovered at the site of the nineteenth century African-American meeting house in Boston, as well as Essex County, Massachusetts red earthenware recovered at various archaeological sites in the Boston-area in the 1800s.

Nevertheless, the following green glazed red earthenware sherd with a crimped rim was recovered in a post-American Revolution archaeological context in Charlestown, Massachusetts. I suspect that it may be the remains of a flower pot or flower pot saucer; whereas, its form somewhat resembles a wonderful large green glazed red earthenware flower pot that was recently recovered by archaeologists at Strawbery Banke within an early nineteenth century archaeological context in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

But this sherd may also be related to similar green glazed flower pot and saucer sherds with both regular rims and crimped rims, which were recovered by Cape Cod antiques dealer, Brian Cullity in the 1980s at the site of the Bradford-Parker Pottery near southeastern Massachusetts on Cape Cod in West Barnstable, Massachusetts. The information about these sherds was first published in 1991, when Brian Cullity published 'Slipped & Glazed: Regional American Redware,' which was a book that was written to coincide with an American redware exhibit that Brian had assembled at the Heritage Plantation in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

According to Brian Cullity, "The West Barnstable sherds illustrate some of the forms and decorative techniques used at the West Barnstable Pottery by Noah Bradford and Daniel Parker, Jr. Parker worked for his father-in-law before assuming the operation of the pottery following the death of Bradford in 1832. Most pieces displayed a clear lead glaze, but a number of them were various shades of green, and some manganese black. 

A surprising number of fragments revealed incised decoration with multiple wavy bands. Kiln furniture from the site included cut and pinched wedges, cockspurs and a partial setting tile."

Note: Click the links in this article to see similar styles recovered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as well as West Barnstable, Massachusetts.

Sherds Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

(Top) Late-18th or Early-19th Century Rim Sherd Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

Possibly Related to Sherds Recovered in Portsmouth, NH or Cape Cod

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, MA

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