A 19th Century Painted Ancient Style Water Bottle Found in an Estate in New Hampshire

This is something I acquired last winter and had saved for a Christmas present for my mother that I wanted to share...it came out of an estate in central New Hampshire, although I have no idea how it ended up there. But it will be published in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,468-page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts, due out in the winter of 2026.

This is a nineteenth century British ancient style red earthenware or terracotta water bottle with its original stopper and under-plate. It is adorned with ancient hand-painted figures and design, perhaps depicting Hermes (the Roman Mercury), the messenger of the gods and the guide of souls. The base of the plate and bottle are also both signed by the artist and the year “1877.” This was produced during the same period and similar to types made in Beverly, Chelsea and Cambridge, Massachusetts, etc. 

Interestingly, I researched it for almost a year, and could not find anything like it, although I checked with a number of British dealers and collectors and they all said it was English in origin. There are pieces that are more mass-produced types of this shape, but nothing that I could find adorned with hand-painted ancient figures. I think it is a really interesting comparison to very similar wares that were made in and around the Boston area during the same period, where this exact type of design was also displayed by American and European manufacturers, as part of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. Perhaps because of its popularity in Philadelphia, this type of object was shipped to the United States in 1877, possibly explaining how it end up in a somewhat rural part of New Hampshire.

In fact, the A.H. Hews & Company Pottery of North Cambridge, Massachusetts was awarded a medal for this type of design at the exposition in 1876, leading to a company catalog exclusive to ancient terracotta painted wares that was published in 1877.

Note: For more information about the A.H. Hews Pottery - see a feature story I wrote for the March 17, 2023 issue of Antiques and the Arts Weekly, titled, The Abraham Hews Pottery Of Weston & North Cambridge, Mass.: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/03/new-published-story-in-antiques-and.html.

Also for another article about nineteenth century British terracotta - see a feature story I wrote for the June 2, 2023 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, The Other John Bell: Not A Pennsylvania Potter But London Sculptor: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/05/new-research-article-in-antiques-and.html.

Ancient Style Water Bottle Adorned with Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods

British Ancient Style Water Bottle Adorned with Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods

Hermes was also the Guide of Souls

All Hand-Painted with Original Stopper and Plate

Signed by Artist and the Year "1877"

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A View of the Artist's Signature and the Year "1877"

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This is Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods and Guide of Souls

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This is How the Object Will be Published in My New Book

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