19th Century Tree Trunk Formed Planter from the Portland Stoneware Company in Maine

I have previously written about various nineteenth century garden objects made at the Portland Stoneware Company in Portland, Maine. For instance, in February 2016, I posted an article about a circa 1880 garden urn that workers removed from a cemetery in Portland, which now resides on the property of an estate in Gorham, Maine.

But the company also manufactured large tree trunk formed planters that were typically intended for outdoor use. Similar objects were also made at the Bangor Stoneware Company in Bangor, Maine. However, this type of production appears rather rare today.

I was actually surprised to see a tree trunk planter marked by the Portland Stoneware Company last weekend, while I walked around Todd's Farm Flea Market in Rowley, Massachusetts. I don't believe I have ever seen this type of production from this company before - in fact, neither the Maine State Museum in Augusta, Maine or the Maine Historical Society in Portland own examples of this type of production in their collections.

Nevertheless, the planter was priced fairly, but it's a huge object that really needs a lot of room. This picture demonstrates the size of the planter as it sat in the back of an antique dealer's van at the flea market.

I also want to note that these stoneware forms were also made at the Norton Pottery in Worcester, Massachusetts, as well as some potteries in the Midwest. But this style of production from Portland is arguably just as skilled as most other American potteries. These forms were also manufactured in Europe and Canada in the 1800s.

Portland, ME Stoneware Company Tree Trunk Planter

19th Century Tree Trunk Planter

Marked "Portland Stoneware Company"

Circa 1880

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Maine Antiques Dealer

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