A Sneak Peek into Early Massachusetts Slip Decorated Red Earthenware

A subject deserving great attention today is the different types of surviving slip decorated red earthenware made in Charlestown and Essex County, Massachusetts, before 1800 (and largely before 1780, based on archaeological evidence). This analysis will be included in my forthcoming tenth book—a two-volume, 1,900-plus-page study titled An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.

Some of the objects shown in these photos are adorned with various types of slip that closely match archaeological evidence recovered from the Beverly, Danvers, Ipswich, Marblehead, Peabody, and Salem areas. Additional examples, not shown in these photographs, will be featured in the upcoming book. While the title focuses on a specific region, the study encompasses numerous other production centers. These areas are closely intertwined through Quaker religious networks, family ties, marriages, shared distribution channels, and migrating potters.

Various Types of Slip Decorated Red Earthenware

All Probably Made Between Charlestown and Newburyport, Mass., Circa 1730-1799

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Various Museum and Private Collections

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