A Comparison of Two Unusual Formed 19th Century Red Earthenware Vases From Northern New England

With my forthcoming eighth 600-page New Hampshire book nearing completion, and due out later this year or early next year, I thought I would share this unusual late nineteenth century red earthenware vase that I encountered while working on the book from the collection of the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, New Hampshire. This vase has no attribution outside of being made in New England, but it is glazed on the interior and unglazed on the exterior, although it was donated to the museum as part of a large collection of objects that were made in New Hampshire in 1933 by Margaret Jewell (1866-1970). She also donated a great selection of New England-made objects to Historic New England, where some of her information was also published in 1950 in Lura Woodside Watkins' (1897-1982) book, Early New England Potters and Their Wares.

However, a good amount of the red earthenware that Jewell gifted to the New Hampshire Historical Society also came with strong provenances that accurately identifies certain pieces to specific locations, businesses and potters in New Hampshire. This information is all defined in detail in my forthcoming book, titled, An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses.

Interestingly, though, a few weeks ago, I wrote about a late eighteenth or early nineteenth century red earthenware pitcher from Bristol County, Massachusetts that sold on eBay, although it had just previously sold in a group lot through New England Auctions in Branford, Connecticut. As part of that story, I wrote, "This is certainly a desirable form, seeing that the bottom-half or so of the pitcher is actually the shape of some popular jars that were made in Bristol County, where the potter then turned the jar into a handled pitcher by adding some extra features. This is often a type of production that happened with blown utilitarian glass during this period, where the usual form of a bottle was altered in production to make a pitcher or another form. But it is fascinating to see this with utilitarian pottery in New England."

Furthermore, the vase that is owned by the New Hampshire Historical Society is very similar in form to another vase that I acquired some years ago, which was found along the Mid-Coast of Maine. I also suspect this is a Maine-made object, but what struck me about this form is that the potter used a thickly shaped lid as the base and then it was altered to form a vase on top, similar in shape and size to the vase owned in Concord. 

This vase is also pictured in my latest seventh book, titled, From One Town Came Many: The Red Earthenware Industry of Ancient North Yarmouth, Maine, available here: https://historicbeverly.net/product/94597/.

19th Century Red Earthenware Vases From Northern New England

Late 19th Century Red Earthenware Vase Possibly Made in New Hampshire

Circa 1880-1900

Stands 4.2" Tall

Measures 5.9" in Diameter

Collection of Margaret Jewell

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Photo Courtesy: New Hampshire Historical Society

19th Century Red Earthenware Vase Probably Made in Maine

Found on the Mid-Coast of Maine

Stands 3 5/8" Tall

Measures 5 7/8" in Diameter

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Another View of the Vase

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