Another Preview of Forthcoming Tenth Book: A Crossing Slip Technique Recovered from Different Archaeological Contexts in the Salem, Massachusetts Area

Some previous published information has suggested that little slip decorated red earthenware was manufactured in the Danvers and Salem, Massachusetts area in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, although a variety of archaeological investigations after 1970 appear to have proven otherwise. But it is difficult to pinpoint some of the slip techniques to a specific potter, family or business, seeing that there were so many potters that operated in this area during the seventeenth to nineteenth century (i.e. Osborn, Southwick, Goldthwaite, Wilson, Kettle, Symonds, Butterfield, Purinton, etc.).

Nonetheless my forthcoming two-volume, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts, will show a wide variety of slip techniques recovered from different archaeological contexts in Danvers, Peabody, Marblehead, Salem and Ipswich, etc. One of those designs is a spiral technique recovered from numerous sites in the area, which I also recently posted an article about on this website, titled, "Another Preview of Forthcoming Tenth Book: Spiraled Slip Designs Produced in the Danvers and Salem, Massachusetts Area, Circa 1690-1790:" http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/03/another-preview-of-forthcoming-tenth_6.html.

Another style recovered from eighteenth century contexts in Salem and Marblehead is a crossing slip technique, which I have not seen produced anywhere else in America during this period. My suspicion is that the Symonds family may have been involved with some of the area's slip production, but the family is best known today for the furniture they made in Salem in the seventeenth century. However, the family actually transitioned to manufacturing red earthenware about 1750 until around 1830, where they also had ties to the pre-1775 industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts. 

Shown here is a late eighteenth or nineteenth century slip decorated red earthenware bottle privately owned in New England today. The location that it was made is not known; also shown are two red earthenware sherds with crossing slip designs recovered from eighteenth century archaeological contexts in Salem (top right) and Marblehead (bottom right). 

(Left) Late 18th or 19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bottle

Adorned with a Crossing Slip Technique

Manufacturer or Location Made Not Known

(Top Right) Late 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pan Sherd

Adorned with a Crossing Slip Technique

Recovered at the Narbonne House in Salem, Mass.

Circa 1770-1790 Archaeological Context

(Bottom Right) 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Sherd

Adorned with a Crossing Slip Technique

Recovered at the Lee Mansion in Marblehead, Mass.

Circa 1690-1750 Archaeological Context

Photos Courtesy: Private Collection, National Park Service and Marblehead Museum

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