EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: A Collection of William Pecker Stoneware from Merrimacport, Massachusetts, Circa 1790-1820

Friday, November 24, 2017

A Collection of William Pecker Stoneware from Merrimacport, Massachusetts, Circa 1790-1820

I posted on Facebook almost one-month ago that I was excited to have acquired two of the three very-rare pieces of stoneware made by William Pecker (1758-1820) in Merrimacport (formerly West Amesbury), Massachusetts, circa 1790-1820, which had recently sold at Crocker Farm in Sparks, Maryland.

Pecker is most known today for his remarkable red earthenware production; although, recent research and extensive archaeological evidence has also proven that he was a skilled stoneware potter, a duel-feat that was achieved by few potters in New England/America during this period.

Pecker was born in Massachusetts in 1758 so it must be assumed that he may have been working as a potter before the American Revolution; he likely learned the potter's craft in Essex County, Massachusetts. But records also reveal that he was employed at a potter's business in Merrimacport as-early-as 1780 and he became a business owner in 1790.

To my knowledge: there are less-then one dozen intact examples of Pecker's stoneware production known to survive today; whereas, I am only actually aware of eight or nine examples that currently exist. It appears that every piece is either impressed with Pecker's mark, "Wm Pecker" and/or decorated with an impressed bird, fish or flower.

The pictures that I have posted today show the four examples of Pecker's stoneware that I own, which include three marked jugs.

The fourth object is a jar that is attributed to Pecker partially based on the impressed bird, which matches exactly the remains of a bird that I recovered in sherds at the site of Pecker's red earthenware and stoneware business. But the jar also closely resembles the form of a marked Pecker stoneware jar that was published in the 2004 edition of Ceramics in America; although, that jar was also decorated with a matching impressed bird, as well as an impressed flower.

However, the jar that I have posted this morning is also impressed with a fish, which is the only object that I am aware of today from Pecker's stoneware production that bears this mark.

Note: For more information about William Pecker's stoneware production in Merrimacport, Massachusetts, I suggest these articles that have been previously published, as well as another that I recently posted on this website. Here is also a link to a YouTube video uploaded by Crocker Farm, where Mark Zipp talks about a significant piece of stoneware made by Pecker, circa 1800.

1) 2004 Ceramics in America - William Pecker Jar
2) NEAJ - William Pecker: A Forgotten Stoneware Potter from Merrimacport, Mass.
3) Important William Pecker Stoneware Presentation Jar

Collection of William Pecker Stoneware

My Niece, Alexis with Our Collection of William Pecker Stoneware
Circa 1790-1820
The Large Ovoid Jug to the Left was Discovered in an Old House in Wenham, Mass. in 2012

See Article for More Information