The ongoing investigation into historic eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Maine red earthenware continues, as this object was brought to my attention after being found in Maine yesterday. This particular piece stands out due to its highly uncommon form.
This newly discovered form shares a striking resemblance to a documented piece from the landmark 1998 Berdan Sale in Gray, Maine. That auction featured a similarly shaped red earthenware bottle (see below) that was attributed to the Safford family of Monmouth, Maine. It was previously found in a home in Monmouth.
The Safford pottery dynasty, led prominently by John M. Safford (1811–1880), was renowned for producing a wide variety of red earthenware in many different forms. Known Safford pieces, such as a heavily stamped jar displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, showcase the family's ability to create pieces that set their wares apart from the more common everyday utilitarian pottery of the period.
While it is not yet certain if this newly discovered bottle was definitely made in Maine, another location in northern New England, or perhaps even Western New York, the form itself is a fascinating study since it is remarkably similar to a type of mass-produced stoneware bottle.
In nineteenth century England, these "master ink" bottles were mass-produced by the millions in industrial pottery centers like Derbyshire and London using high-fired stoneware. Interestingly, they feature the exact cylindrical body, sharp shoulder, and narrow pouring lip seen on this example found yesterday in Maine, as well as the example attributed to the Safford family.
Note: For more information about the Saffords - see my seventh book, From One Town Came Many: The Red Earthenware Industry of Ancient North Yarmouth Maine — https://historicbeverly.net/product/from-one-town-came-many-the-red-earthenware-industry-of-ancient-north-yarmouth-maine/.
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Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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