These three late eighteenth and/or early nineteenth century surviving red earthenware jars are beautiful examples of early production from the Hartford, Connecticut area. They feature hand-applied brushstrokes of slip, which appear like quick, simple and perhaps unintentional art. These jars represent some of the earliest production for the area from such potters as Nathaniel Seymour (1763-1849) and Seth Goodwin (1772-1828), showing some of the types of red earthenware that were used in the area's homes. There are also related objects retaining local histories of ownership owned by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford.
Interestingly, some of Hartford's earliest production can be traced back to the Braintree and Danvers, Massachusetts area, where at least one potter learned of early Massachusetts forms before bringing those techniques to the Hartford area, and later possibly influencing other early potters like Seymour and Goodwin.
Nonetheless, these objects are illustrated in my sixth book, titled, A City on the River: The Early Red Earthenware of the Hartford, Connecticut Area: https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-city-on-the-river-the-early-red-earthenware-of-the-hartford-connecticut-area/.
The impact of the Danvers area industry in Hartford is also discussed in 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: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/01/update-on-new-book-book-sent-to.html.
Furthermore, these objects were recently part of one of the best small collections of New England red earthenware assembled privately in New England in the 1990s and early 2000s. Most of the objects from this collection were acquired privately from reputable dealers in American redware, although some of the objects were also purchased from the personal collection of Hilarly and Paulette Nolan at Northeast Auctions in Manchester, New Hampshire in August 2004. However, only four objects remain of the fifteen or so pieces from this private collection.
This late eighteenth or early nineteenth century red earthenware jar from Bristol County, Massachusetts is a wonderful example of a form that possibly mirrors the sophisticated, "shouldered" silhouette of some Chinese porcelain jars. The jar's broad shoulders and tapered base with a pronounced round foot are similar to the ovoid shapes of imported Chinese export porcelain, such as ginger jars, possibly showing how global trade influenced local potters. This was a popular form in Bristol County, and it may have developed from the China Trade that existed in New Bedford, Massachusetts. While Boston and Salem were the initial hubs for this type of trade, New Bedford merchants also began participating in international ventures beyond the West Indies and Europe. Ships from New Bedford typically traded goods like tea, silk, nankeen (cotton), and spices, which included ginger.
This early jar is adorned with a colorful glaze that features a mottled green color finish with different shades of orange, along with black and dark brown streaks. This type of glaze is also found on other forms from Bristol County, including larger jars of this shape and pitchers.
While the jar's vibrant glaze likely draws the most attention, its origins are deeply rooted in the Quaker potting traditions of Bristol County in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, with their trade being an integral part of the area's everyday life during this period.
However, this region's Quaker pottery tradition was also intertwined with the Quaker potters in the Danvers and Salem area, where Bristol County's red earthenware production will also be part of my forthcoming new book, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.
Additionally, this jar is illustrated in my fifth book, titled, A Celebrated Industry: The Historic Wares of Southeastern Massachusetts, Bristol County and Cape Cod: https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-celebrated-industry-the-historic-wares-of-southeastern-massachusetts-bristol-county-and-cape-cod/.
For more information about any of these objects - contact Antiques Associates At West Townsend in Massachusetts: https://www.aaawt.com/about/.
Note: For more information about early Quaker potters in Bristol County and Essex County, Massachusetts - see a feature story I wrote that was published on page 10 in the December 12, 2025 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2025/12/new-published-feature-story-in-antiques.html.
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