Thursday, November 30, 2023

A Red Earthenware Pitcher from South Danvers (Peabody), Massachusetts Found Yesterday in Boston

This was definitely not something that I was expecting to see yesterday in Boston, whereas this is arguably among the most dramatically glazed red earthenware pitchers that I have ever seen from South Danvers (Peabody), Massachusetts. The pitchers that I have seen in the past are typically sporadically decorated with manganese, and some are also glazed a dark green or olive color, however this pitcher is completely covered in a dripping black with some yellow around the entire surface, including beneath the handle. 

I also suspect that this object may very well date from the 1700s, seeing that this exact type of pitcher has been recovered by archaeologists from circa 1770s contexts in neighboring Salem, Massachusetts, such as an artifact that I posted below, which was recovered from a circa 1770 privy at the Narbonne House near Salem's waterfront. 

Furthermore, I have always suspected that these types of pitchers were made by the Osborn family in South Danvers/Peabody, although there were so many businesses in South Danvers during this period that it is tough to be specific and accurate outside of attributing this pitcher to the location.

Note: For more information about pottery production in South Danvers, see a feature story that I wrote for the November 2017 issue of the New England Antiques Journal, titled, Digging Into the Peabody Potteries: Archaeology and Red Earthenware; also see the second installment in my pottery book series published by Historic Beverly in Massachusetts, titled, The Moses B. Paige Company: The Last of the Peabody Potterieshttps://historicbeverly.net/product/the-moses-b-paige-company-the-last-of-the-peabody-potteries/.

Red Earthenware Pitcher from South Danvers (Peabody), Mass.

Possibly 18th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher with a Lid
Attributed to South Danvers, Mass.
Possibly Circa 1770s-1790s
Stands 7 7/8" Tall
See Above for More Information
Another View of the Pitcher
See Above for More Information
Another View of the Pitcher
See Above for More Information
A View of the Lid
The Lid Appears to Have Been Made in Essex County, Mass.
Possibly Made in South Danvers, Mass.
See Above for More Information
18th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Attributed to Peabody, Mass.
Recovered from a Circa 1770 Archaeological Context in Salem, Mass.
The Form is Related to the Other Pitcher Shown in this Post
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: National Park Service - Narbonne House

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

No comments: