EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: An Outstanding 19th Century New England Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Jar

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

An Outstanding 19th Century New England Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Jar

This is kind of a funny story! So I'm out rummaging through a back room at a friend's eighteenth century house in New England earlier this summer, where I see this nineteenth century slip decorated red earthenware jar sitting on the back of a shelf with stuff in front of it. He says to me that it's Asian and he hasn't picked it up in probably ten years. My reply, "You wanna sell it? But it's not Asian!" He says, "No, it's not for sale." I tell him that this is one of the best Hartford, Connecticut area red earthenware jars that I have ever seen, probably among the top five or ten objects known to exist today. I then tell him that there's an identical shaped slip-decorated jar illustrated in my Hartford book, but the slip is not as nice. He then says, "Oh yes I used to own that jar! You're right!"

Nevertheless, this is an incredible jar, standing over ten inches tall! The slip is really special, whereas I can definitely see how it can be interpreted for Asian design. But I have also never seen this slip technique on early New England red earthenware before - it’s really remarkable to see in hand!

And what makes this story even better - this is now the third red earthenware object of this quality that I have found hidden in this backroom through the years!

Furthermore, here is a link to buy my Hartford book from my publisher Historic Beverly in Massachusetts, titled, A City on the River: The Early Red Earthenware of the Hartford, Connecticut Area, although it is also available in bookstores in cities located all over America, Canada and the U.K.: https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-city-on-the-river-the-early-red-earthenware-of-the-hartford-connecticut-area/

19th Century New England Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Jar