A 19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Plate Recovered from an 1860s Context in Southern New Jersey Compared to Small Group of Existing Plates

Over the last four to six weeks I have posted a series of articles to this website discussing a specific type of multi-colored slip decorated red earthenware plate, although there is only a small existing group of these objects known. One of those plates were previously owned by Robesonia, Pennsylvania Potter Lester Breininger, which he acquired from a two-day onsite sale in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. 

Ohio potter Greg Shooner commented about this type of production: "Lester always thought of these as Berks County, Pennsylvania. Probably comparing the 5/6 divided slip cup with other pieces attributed to Daniel Dry of Dryville, Pennsylvania. The white, copper and manganese slips applied with this cup have similar, if not identical gaps - and were applied in tulip patterns as well as criss-cross and “plaid” motifs. If these are not Berks County, I would suggest that they were at the very least journeyman work and closely related."

Another type of somewhat distinct decoration used on these plates is some kind of wheel or coggled impressed decoration which to my knowledge is very unusual for any type of red earthenware plate or dish made in America in the eighteenth or nineteenth century.

Interestingly, an artifact that could be related was recovered a few years back by Tom Kennedy Jansen from an 1860s context in southern New Jersey. The nineteenth century ownership of this plate is unknown to me, but it appears to be related to the plates of previous discussion, having been decorated with a similar impressed coggle technique.

For more information - see these links for the previous articles that I posted about this type of production:

1) 19th Century Coggle and Three Color Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Plates Likely from Southeastern Pennsylvania: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2024/09/19th-century-coggle-and-three-color.html

2) More Information: 19th Century Coggle and Three Color Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Plates Likely from Southeastern Pennsylvania: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2024/09/more-information-19th-century-coggle.html

3) Another 19th Century Coggle and Three Color Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Plate Likely from Southeastern Pennsylvania: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2024/09/another-19th-century-coggle-and-three.html

4) A Comparison of Two 19th Century Three-Color Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Plates from Pennsylvania: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2024/10/a-comparison-of-two-19th-century-three.html

Red Earthenware Plate Recovered from an 1860s Context in Southern N.J.

19th Century Two-Color Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Plate

Adorned with an Impressed Decoration, Perhaps Created with a Coggle

Recovered from an 1860s Context in Southern New Jersey

Made in Southeastern Pennsylvania

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Tom Kennedy Jansen

A View of the Back of the Plate

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Tom Kennedy Jansen

A Comparison of One of the Existing Plates that I Have Written About

Both Adorned with a Similar Style of Impressed Decoration

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection and Tom Kennedy Jansen

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