A New Hampshire Find: Examining a Nineteenth Century Red Earthenware Bottle from Antiques Week

Last week at Antiques Week in New Hampshire, Greg Kramer—a dealer from Robesonia, Pennsylvania—showcased a nineteenth century red earthenware bottle in his booth at Antiques In Manchester. A private collector quickly snapped it up. When I saw it, I was immediately reminded of a group of red earthenware bottles recovered from the site of the Nathaniel Rochester (1752-1831) Pottery (circa 1818–1831) in West Bloomfield, New York. While this specific bottle may have originated there, the form was highly popular among local makers, meaning it could have been crafted by another potter in Ontario County, New York, etc.

Structurally, this red earthenware bottle closely mirrors mid-1700s to early 1800s glass wine and spirit bottles. Its shape also heavily resembles the historic glass "mallet" bottle, featuring a wide, flat base, sharp shoulders, and a tall neck with a rolled collar designed for corking. This straight-sided, transitional design allowed bottles to be stacked horizontally in storage bins rather than upright. While its form is very similar to these classic glass shapes, a pottery bottle like this was probably more likely used in the home to store cider, ale, or spirits. 

For more information about red earthenware made in Western New York - see my latest two-volume book, America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York: https://historicbeverly.net/product/americas-great-awakening-and-migration-the-red-earthenware-of-western-new-york/.

19th Century Red Earthenware Bottle Likely from Western New York

Similar Bottles were Recovered at the Nathaniel Rochester Site

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Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

A View of the Top of the Bottle

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Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

The Remains of 19th Century Red Earthenware Bottles from Western New York

Recovered at the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery Site

Circa 1818-1831

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Photo Courtesy: Rochester Museum & Science Center

The Remains of Another 19th Century Red Earthenware Bottle from Western New York

Recovered at the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery Site

Circa 1818-1831

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Photo Courtesy: Rochester Museum & Science Center

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