A Freshly Discovered Painted Red Earthenware Vase Found in Lawrence, Massachusetts

The name, Hews is a well-known family name in the historical context of Boston-area potters in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries today. Abraham Hews (1741-1818) founded an important pottery in Weston, Massachusetts in 1765. The business catered to the area's utilitarian red earthenware needs into the 1800's usually conforming to the market's demands. The family excelled in the manufacture of gardening products early-on in the nineteenth-century before many potters realized decades later the shift that would happen with the Industrial Era, which brought on a demand for floral products. The Hews Pottery began as a small country-style business that was established by a farmer; however, by the time the Industrial Era took hold of the potter's industry in New England - the Hews family moved its business from a small operation in Weston to a huge factory setting in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where upwards of one-hundred workers were eventually employed. There was also a large shift in how the wares were made while the company relocated; the products went from entirely hand-thrown forms made in Weston to mostly molded wares produced in Cambridge.

I don't personally feel the latter of the two businesses has received a great-amount of scholarly research since Lura Woodside Watkins published her book, Early New England Potters and Their Wares in 1950. According to Watkins, "When the manufactory was transferred to its larger buildings in Cambridge, it employed fifteen men and produced annually eight hundred thousand pieces of ware, principally flower pots. By 1889 the force had grown to eighty-five or one hundred men and the yearly output to seven million pieces. In prosperous seasons, the Hews Pottery, in addition to other ornamental wares, has made as many as twenty-million flowerpots. Its growth must, of course, be attributed to machine methods that make possible such a large output."

Despite the huge amount of production that happened at the Hews Pottery in Cambridge, very-little of this production has survived today. Many factors can be taken into consideration of why so-little of this output has survived; although, the most obvious, the majority of the Hews Pottery output served a number of gardening needs and as a result, those products eventually broke. Its helpful today since a number of the products made at the Cambridge business were stamped with the company's name; however, not every product was marked. For instance, this business is known today to have displayed its decorative wares at conventions and exhibitions around the country. Unfortunately, not a lot from this output was marked nor has a large concentration of it survived - and, as much as I find the gardening wares interesting - I guess I am more fascinated with the decorative wares since they are extremely difficult to find today. Outside of a few known examples in private collections and at the Weston Historical Society that I have studied - there doesn't appear to be a lot left today.

Earlier yesterday, I was at an antique and collectibel-type shop in Lawrence, Massachusetts and I believe I have identified a rare crossover form from this company that appears like it served both a decorative and a gardening need. Simply put, it seems like this large vase may have held planted indoor flowers at one time. I examined the vase from top-to-bottom while in the shop and everything about it seemed correct to me. It is molded, the clay color is correct and the paint seemed correct. This is the most elaborate example of the molded wares that I have seen from the Hews Pottery to-date. I think it is a wonderful piece! I think it could be a significant example of this company's molded production that began in the 1870's.

 Canal Street Antiques - Lawrence, Mass.

 Canal Street Antiques - Lawrence, Mass.

This is How I Found the Vase Buried in a Back Room in the Shop

Here are some better pictures of the vase - the gold paint really stands out in the light. The vase appears to be decorated on two-sides with a calla lily, which is a flower native to cool temperate regions in the northern hemisphere.

 19th Century Large Painted Molded Red Earthenware Vase or Planter Decorated with a Lily

Likely Made at the A.H. Hews Pottery in Cambridge, Mass.

Ca. 1870's

Stands 21" Tall

Found Today in Lawrence, Mass.

 View of the Other Lily

 View of the Interior

 Another View of the Interior

 View of One Side

View of the Base

These are the more traditional floral wares that were produced at the Hews Pottery in Cambridge; each piece has either been painted or left as a terra-cotta-type product. All of these pieces have been stamped, HEWS on the base. The pot that is not painted has actually been stamped twice. It should also be noted that this company made hand-thrown glazed products in the 1870's and afterwards; however, those products came from a different kind of output than what is shown in this report.

 A.H. Hews Painted Red Earthenware Planter

Ca. 1870's or 1880's

Stands 2 3/4" Tall

Measures 9 1/2" Across

 View of the Base Stamped with the HEWS Name

 A.H. Hews Painted Red Earthenware Planter

Ca. 1870's or 1880's

Stands 4 3/4" Tall

 View of the Base Stamped with the HEWS Name

 A.H. Hews Painted Red Earthenware Planter

Ca. 1870's or 1880's

Stands 2 3/4" Tall

Measures 9 1/2" Across

View of the Base Stamped with the HEWS Name

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

More From the Nan Gurley Antique Show Held on Sunday March 1st in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

This report will entail another compare and contrast, but this time it will include products that I believe could be related to the dozens of potters who worked in Southeastern Massachusetts (Bristol County) and the early Clark Pottery in Lyndeboro, New Hampshire in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries. I have always perceived the Clark and Osborn (see past reports for more about the Osborn family) families as the centerpieces of the New Hampshire potter's industry in the 1800's - with the Clark's expanding their production line in the second-half of the nineteenth-century to include decorative wares and ancient-style reproduction products. To my knowledge, the Clarks were the only traditional utilitarian potter's family or business to experiment with this kind of product line in New Hampshire. There were other businesses; however, those companies (Hampshire Pottery, etc.) began under different circumstances and none established themselves before the American Revolution, like the Clark Pottery is known for today.

According to Lura Woodside Watkins book, Early New England Potters and Their Wares, "In Braintree, Massachusetts, Peter Clark (1743-1826) was running a pottery as early as 1763. He came from a Danvers (Mass.) family that moved to Braintree before he was born. He kept up his Danvers associations and was probably trained there. He even went back to Danvers (reportedly) in 1772 for clay...In 1775, the Clark family left Massachusetts for Lyndeboro, New Hampshire."

This brief, but descriptive citation really paints a solid picture of the important role Peter Clark played in the Massachusetts potter's industry before the American Revolution. He also contributed largely to the early years of the New Hampshire potter's industry after 1776. The turmoil that happened in Massachusetts in 1775 was obvious - and evidently, it may have persuaded Clark to leave the state; however, that is not information that I can be sure of today, but the reasons why he left may be undeniable.

Prior to the Clark family's starting a business in Lyndeboro, New Hampshire - the state's potter's industry was largely (almost exclusively) located near the seacoast in places like Portsmouth, Hampton and Exeter. Peter Clark (and his sons) may have seen an opportunity for his family to prosper as America fought for its independence. To some degree, he is almost entirely responsible for the birth of New Hampshire's potter's industry everywhere else in the state that did not include coastal communities. From what I can see - Peter Clark was among the first dozen-or-so potters employed in New Hampshire - and he was among the first who dared to set up a business in a town not involved with maritime trade. In some ways, Clark dared to see financial opportunities in the eighteenth-century that did not entirely exist in New Hampshire until the 1800's. Ultimately, I wonder what were the deciding factors that forced Clark and his family to leave for New Hampshire (of all years - it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that he left in 1775), which eventually allowed Clark to lay a foundation for his sons and future relatives to follow in his career path.

This is a follow-up report to one that I wrote earlier in the week; today, I would like to discuss a red earthenware pitcher that I purchased at the Nan Gurley Antique Show in Portsmouth, New Hampshire last Sunday. The dealer, whom I purchased it from, told me, she had owned it for the past twenty-or-more years.

Frank Jones Center - Portsmouth, NH

Nan Gurley Antique Show - Portsmouth, NH

When I first approached the pitcher on the showroom floor last Sunday, the form quickly suggested to me that it may have been made in Essex County, Massachusetts around the turn of the nineteenth-century; however, once I returned home from the show - I realized the pitcher may be related to a group of products that have been attributed in the past to the potters who worked in Bristol County, Massachusetts (Southeastern Mass.). What's interesting about this piece which is the ovoid belly is reminiscent of pitchers made in Essex County, Massachusetts throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries. The handle is also reminiscent of those products, but the squared off rim with the distinct incised line drawn across the top is similar to a group of known jars that are usually attributed to Bristol County, Mass. today.

Here are two links to two jars that sold as part of an important collection that Northeast Auctions handled in Manchester, New Hampshire in the summer of 2011. These jars are simply attributed to Southeastern Massachusetts (ca. 1790-1820) with no specific potter or potter's business cited.

Northeast Auctions Summer 2011 Lot No. 165
Northeast Auctions Summer 2011 Lot No. 409

This is the pitcher I purchased at the show a little less than a week ago; also shown below is a jar related to the jars that sold at Northeast Auctions in the summer of 2011 - notice how similar the tops are on all of these products. They all appear related to me. I feel this pitcher was made by the same potter who produced these jars. The tops seem too similar in form and glaze to be a mere coincidence.

18th/Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Possibly Made in SE Mass

Ca. 1790-1820

Stands 8 1/2" Tall

Purchased at a Nan Gurley Show in Portsmouth, NH

Another View of the Pitcher

View of the Handle

View of the Base

(Left) 18th/Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar

Stands 11"Tall

Very Similar Rim and Incised Line to that Seen on the Pitcher

What I'm trying to do in this report is to suggest that there may be a link that begins with the style seen on these pots that are regularly attributed to Southeastern Massachusetts, to Peter Clark in Lyndeboro and eventually elsewhere in New Hampshire.

The magazine, Early American Homes published a very important collection of New England-made red earthenware in the October 1999 edition. Pictured as part of that collection is another related jar that bears no specific attribution, but it is written that it could be a late-eighteenth-century product.

Early American Homes - October, 1999
There Are Two Great Articles in this Edition Covering New England-Made Redware

Jar Marked with an Arrow is Similar to the Jars of Discussion

Similar in Size to the Other Jars

Description of the Jar
It is Suggested to be a (Late) 18th-Century Product

This is where I am begin to get confused - the variegated green glazed pitcher shown below is attributed to the Clark Pottery (before 1820) in Lyndeboro, New Hampshire. Peter Clark, of course, traveled from Southern Massachusetts in 1775 to New Hampshire and with him, came his Essex County training and his knowledge of the Southern Massachusetts potter's industry.

This pitcher exhibits a similar squared-off rim with an incised line drawn in a similar manner to all of the previous pots in this report. The only difference with this top is that it is more squared-off than the others. These kinds of rims are known to have been used by potters who worked in a few areas of New Hampshire in the 1800's; however, the big difference is that I don't recall seeing any with an incised line across the top. Are the nineteenth-century New Hampshire products that I reference all the result of an influence from the early Clark family members? It's only a suggestion, but if any of this idea proves true then it appears that Peter Clark and his eighteenth-century Massachusetts background may have influenced more than only the Clark family members, who followed him in the potter's trade - rather, he may have influenced styles used elsewhere in New Hampshire in both direct and indirect areas from one-potter to the next. Of course, for now, this is all only a theory - take a moment to see how the following three tops/rims resemble each other in this photo.

Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Attributed to the Clark Pottery in Lyndeboro, NH

Ca. 1790-1820

Stands 7 7/8" Tall

Found a Few Years Ago in Northwood, NH
(Back Left) SE Mass. Attributed Red Earthenware Jar
(Back Right) SE Mass Attributed Red Earthenware Pitcher

For more about red earthenware pots with similar formed tops, I would suggest searching the past sale results at auction houses such as Skinner, Inc. and Northeast Auctions. Potters in places like Concord, the Chesham region (Pottersville) and Plymouth, New Hampshire are also known today to have used this kind of style from time-to-time.

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

A Rare Whimsical Red Earthenware Figure Made in New Hampshire in the Nineteenth-Century and Related Objects

I have been researching a hand-thrown black glazed red earthenware vase recently that was found in Keene, New Hampshire. It appears to me at least that it is a well-executed product made in the late-nineteenth-century at either an art potter's business - or at a utilitarian red earthenware potter's business that may have manufactured floral products to cater to the public's needs. I feel it probably dates from the early-1870's to the early-twentieth-century. I plan to eventually write about this piece if I can ever figure it out, but very-few art potters are known to have made products with a red-colored body in New England. I also firmly believe that it was made in New England - so, you can probably understand my confusion at the moment.

Yesterday, I turned to the collection of pottery kept at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, New Hampshire in hopes that I may find a clue or a potential lead as to where this vase may have been made. I was curious to see if there was anything in their collection that it may resemble in form or style. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything that provided much help; however, I was rather surprised to see a dark brown glazed red earthenware figure of a dog attributed to a New Hampshire business in the 1800's. I will admit - I am envious of the various whimsical figures made by potters (even traveling potters) in Pennsylvania and Virginia in the second-half of the nineteenth-century. It's a desired product-style that I wish was produced regularly in New England. From what I can see - a lot of New England's potter's industry kept with its daily regiment of utilitarian wares and it is rather uncommon to find unusual forms with no real household purpose today. Whimsical pieces of great skill and high-levels of production made in Pennsylvania and Virginia are highly sought after today by collectors, dealers and museums alike. I, for one, wish this kind of production extended further north with New England's early potters before 1900. Its just not a style that I am aware of ever having been executed in this part of the county until I came across this piece in Concord yesterday to go along with a few other known examples.

Here are two pages of listings from the important William Kelly Young Collection that Crocker Farm sold in Sparks, Maryland in 2010; shown is a huge selection of whimsical red earthenware figures made in the Mid-Atlantic region in the 1800's.

William Kelly Young Collection Page 1
William Kelly Young Collection Page 2

The dog in the New Hampshire Historical Society is only the third example I know of today where a whimsical figure was made in New England. My thought process here suggests that where one figure was produced - there must have been others. I don't believe this could have been a unique product, but one never knows. The only other instances that I know of are a red earthenware cat and a beaver attributed to John Henry Benner (active ca. 1765-1795) in the eighteenth-century in Old Braintree, (now Abington) Massachusetts. These examples are kept in the local historical society.

 18th Century Hand-Modeled Cat Attributed to John Henry Benner - Braintree, Mass.

Ca. 1765-1795

Photo Courtesy: Dyer Memorial Library - Abington, Mass.

 Back of the Cat

Photo Courtesy: Dyer Memorial Library - Abington, Mass.

 Bottom of the Cat

Photo Courtesy: Dyer Memorial Library - Abington, Mass.

18th Century Hand-Modeled Beaver Attributed to John Henry Benner - Braintree, Mass.

Ca. 1765-1795

The Beaver is Pictured on a Piece of Felt

Photo Courtesy: Dyer Memorial Library - Abington, Mass.

According to the New Hampshire Historical Society: the figure was made at the Clark Pottery in the Millville section of Concord (Milleville Pottery: Ca. 1863-1885). The potters Daniel Clark and John Farmer Clark both ran this business - so, it is assumed (by the museum) that the figure was made by one of them; although, I will suggest that this business is also known today for employing traveling potters and apprentices. The figure was donated to the museum as part of the important Margaret H. Jewell Collection a number of years ago. It was reportedly originally purchased from the granddaughter of John Farmer Clark, which leads me to believe that it is also possible that he may have made it special for her. The dog appears like it may have been molded to me, which is why I suggest that more of these may have been made at this business. The figure is covered entirely in a dark brown glaze. The bottom has been left unglazed.

19th Century Red Earthenware Dog Attributed to the Clark Pottery in Millville/Concord, NH

Ca. 1863-1865

The Dog Appears Like it May Have Been Made in a Mold

Stands 2 5/8" Tall

Photo Courtesy: The New Hampshire Historical Society - Concord, NH

While picking my way through a local Massachusetts flea market last summer - I came across the following molded elephant that appears like a product made from sewer tile. It also appears like it has been decorated with a clear glaze and almost undoubtedly made from a mold. 

From what I have read, "sewer tile products were made at the sewer tile factories in America in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-centuries. Figures and vases were usually the favorites and they were often cast in molds. The finished piece was often taken from the original pipe with added decorations and markings." These kinds of products were predominantly popular with the factory workers in the Ohio-area (and often, so, attributed today); however, I tend to believe such products were made all-over America - and also at English factories, but, there was no real reason to export such objects because they were mostly made for whimsical and sentimental purposes. Its not a subject I have ever studied or have I ever read about - but I couldn't imagine there being much commerce involved with such objects.

As a rule, I typically ask people where something was found when I am interested in it; in this case, the dealer told me the elephant had been in his basement in Maine for a number of years. He said prior to that - he couldn't remember where he exactly found it, but he thought it may have been found during a house clean out, also in Maine. 

The Portland Sewer Pipe Company in Maine was considered a leader in the region's production of sewer tile. For example, Charles A. Lawrence's business (ca. 1866-1906) in Beverly, Massachusetts advertised the sale of Portland Sewer Pipe in the late-1800's that it likely contracted to sell on a wholesale-to-retail per-basis for consumers in Essex County, Massachusetts. I have seen whimsical pieces today where factory workers from the Portland business turned actual sewer pipe connecting pieces into umbrella stands usually with colorful painted scenes on the front of them. This elephant would normally be attributed to the midwest or maybe even Pennsylvania in the late-nineteenth-century when exotic animals became fashionable in America. However, considering any type of knowledge of such production in Portland, Maine today would be extremely limited - I wonder if this elephant could be tied to that business' after-hours or lunch-break production. Could it be a similar case to the dog shown above that was made in New Hampshire, but without that family connection the dog would probably be attributed to another potter somewhere else today? I known it is difficult to say that since an object was found in a certain context that it must be from a local maker; however, could this elephant found in Maine be an exception? My knowledge of sewer tile objects like this is limited - and thus why I am asking the question. I have not been able to find this form or similar figures made from a similar kind of mold in any auction results in the last ten-years. Therefore, could it be among the small number of whimsical pottery figures that were produced in New England in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries? Possibly, but it's a fun piece regardless.

Late-19th-Century Sewer Tile Molded Elephant

Ca. 1880-1910

Stands 3 3/4" Tall

Found Last Year at a Flea Market in Essex County, Mass.

May Have Originally Been Found in a House in Maine

 View of the Other Side

 View of the Base

 Another View of the Elephant

Rear View of the Elephant

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

A Comparison of Painted Red Earthenware Products Found in a Variety of Contexts Mostly in Essex County, Massachusetts

I would like to do a quick compare and contrast today with a few hand-thrown red earthenware products that were found in-and-around the Salem, Massachusetts and Beverly, Massachusetts areas in the last year or-so - along with a large red earthenware jar that just appeared at a bottle show in South Carolina and a pair of red earthenware vases that were originally found in coastal Newburyport, Massachusetts (only a few miles north of Beverly and Salem). Since there has been some discussion lately given to the origin of these kinds of products - I will leave my opinion and research out - and leave the interpretation up to the reader. This first jar was brought to my attention a few weeks ago through social media - it appeared at a bottle show in South Carolina that I believe was the 2015 Columbia, South Carolina Bottle Show, which happened on Friday February 20th and Saturday February 21st. I can tell from the appearance of this vase that it was hand-thrown, hand-painted - and hand-decorated with wavy combed incising, figure-eight combed incising, hand-drawn deep geometric incising (done with a wider tool than usually seen on other incised products) and two applied decorative handles with distinct finger impressions. From my observations, this is a great piece! I would love to own it!

Wonderful Hand-Thrown Painted Red Earthenware Pot 

The Paint and Decoration is Great!

Stands Roughly 14" Tall

Recently Emerged at a Bottle Show in South Carolina

Photo Courtesy: Jim Witkowski - Camden, SC

Coincidentally, on my way home from an Americana auction preview at Skinner, Inc. in Boston last weekend - I decided to stop at a few antique shops in Salem, Massachusetts. Surprisingly, I found a small painted red earthenware pot that was likely manufactured by the same potter as the vase that appeared at the bottle show in South Carolina (shown above). The form is a little smaller; however, it exhibits the exact same figure-eight combed decoration, very similar decorative handles with the same distinct finger impressions, similar incised geometric designs and the same wavy combed incising. I asked the shop owner where it came from - she told me it was recently discovered in an old home in Salem. She said it was donated to the shop (along with other antiques from the home), where the proceeds would benefit the local animal shelter. A few people working in the shop actually commented on it when I asked for a price - they felt it was at least one-hundred-years old. One guy in particular said, "That's a beautiful piece. I think it dates from the turn of the twentieth-century." Unfortunately, they didn't have any additional information to contribute than that. The pot has obviously seen quite a bit of use over the years; although, it is an incredible survivor that shows the true skill of the potter.

 Hand-Thrown Painted Red Earthnware Pot 

The Pot Exhibits All Kinds of Wonderful Decoration

Recently Found in an Old Home in Salem, Mass
Stands 9 3/4" Tall

 Another View of the Pot

 View of Wavy Combed Incising

 View of the Handles and the Top of the Pot

View of the Incised Decoratiion

View of the Figure-Eight Combed Incising

View of the Base

View of the Pot with No Camera Flash

The following pair of hand-thrown vases were purchased at a flea market in Essex County, Massachusetts in the spring of 2014. I was thrilled when I came across them. They are a perfect match to each other. I believe I bought them last April; I remember it was a cold day that saw temperatures barely get above freezing, but it didn't really matter to me because I was purely excited to be outdoors picking for pottery and antiques after a long winter. I asked the dealer where he found them; he told me he recently purchased them from an older person who owns a Victorian Period home in nearby Newburyport, Massachusetts.

From what I can see: the vases were both hand-thrown - and they are decorated with similar wavy combed incising as-seen on the previous two products. The paint color is also comparable. What's especially nice about these vases is the applied leaf decoration; there is also additional incised decoration and stamped decoration seen. I assume it's quite a rarity to own a pair of these - I've actually never seen anything else quite like them before.

Pair of Painted Hand-Thrown Red Earthenware Vases with Detailed Decoration

The Pots Were Purchased at a Flea Market Last Spring

They Were Reportedly Originally Found in a Victorian Period House in Salem, Mass.

Each Measure Approximately 14" Tall

Close Up of the Wavy Combed Incising

This next pot was found by an antique dealer I know in Salem last year; he also happens to run a small shop in Salem with his wife. It was in his shop that I actually came across this pot. Interestingly, the hand-thrown pot exhibits a similar paint color as the two vases above; even more importantly, the pot is decorated with a similar leaf decoration (grape leaves) as the pair of vases shown above that were originally found in Newburyport. The detail is wonderful on this piece! Besides a small missing piece from the end of one of the leaf vines - everything else is still intact. 

Large Painted Hand-Thrown Pot with Detailed Applied Decoration

Originally Found in Salem, Mass.

Stands 10 3/4" Tall

Another View of the Decoration

Another View of the Decoration

View of the Base

This last painted hand-thrown red earthenware vase is different in form and color than all of the other products seen in this report, but it does show a similar applied leaf decoration like some of the previous pots. It was found in a junk shop in downtown Beverly last year. The person who owns the shop told me it had sat in the shop for a while and it was originally discovered in a house a few blocks away in the downtown part of the city.

Hand-Thrown Painted Red Earthenware Vase with Applied Leaf Decoration

Found in a Junk Shop in Downtown Beverly, Mass.

Stands 10 7/8" Tall

Another View of the Decoration

View of the Interior

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

A Recap of Today's Nan Gurley Antique Show in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

With spring less-than three-weeks away, the Nan Gurley Antique Show schedule is beginning to wind down at the Frank Jones Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; however, that does not mean the number of antiques entering and leaving the building is slowing down. Today, marked another Sunday morning show. I've always found these shows to be a lot of fun ever since first attending one a few years ago. I can recall that first show; Cape Cod antique dealer, Brian Cullity brought with him an extremely rare example of Charles A. Lawrence's multi-slip decorated pottery made in Beverly, Massachusetts that I purchased. Previously, I had never seen an example of Beverly-made pottery before. It's a subject that I had only read about. He told me to smell the small creamer. It had an obvious maple syrup aroma to it. Its a few years later now and it still smells the same way. Its a good assumption to believe that this creamer was used for maple syrup. I can only imagine the breakfasts it must have witnessed. Brian told me it was originally discovered in a house on Cape cod. This was also my first time meeting Brian Cullity, a name I knew-well because of an important book on American-made red earthenware he had assembled in the early-1990's to coincide with an exhibit of those products at the Sandwich (Mass.) Museum on Cape Cod. The book, Slipped and Glazed: Regional American Redware by Brian was among the first books that I read on the subject of America-made utilitarian pottery.

I was thrilled to come home with such an example of C.A. Lawrence Pottery. This helped spark my interest in this business, which has partially consumed much of my red earthenware research in the past four-years.

I purchased three examples of red earthenware made in the nineteenth-century today - and two of those pieces I will write about in this report.

 Nan Gurley Antique Show - Portsmouth, NH

Frank Jones Center - Portsmouth, NH

Coincidentally, when I was waiting for the doors to open for the show today - I thought about the first time I attended one of these shows. I thought about which entrance I should go in. There are two sets of doors that open when the Nan Gurley shows begin at 10:00 am in Portsmouth; they are located at both ends of the showroom. As of late, I have been entering the doors that open nearest the entrance to the Frank Jones Center; however, I contemplated today whether I should go in the doors that I have  been using lately - or, should I use the doors that I entered that first time I attended a show in Portsmouth. Jokingly, I wondered if it would bring me good luck. I guess it can be considered a strategy of which doors to enter since certain dealers are located closer to a certain entrance. None-the-less, I chose to enter the way I have been going in as of late.

Soon after entering the showroom, I saw a brightly glazed red earthenware pitcher that I have been eyeing for a while now. Maine dealers, Butch Berdan and Tom Jewett have had it with them at some of the recent shows, which include the York, Pennsylvania Antique Show last month. The pitcher is believed to have been made in Essex County, Massachusetts; although, I felt it may have held a more specific attribution that I could prove.

I brought the pitcher outside this morning to look at it in bright sunlight; a friend of mine, who I have also learned a good-deal from looked at it with me. My immediate reaction was that this pitcher exhibited a very-rare glaze that I have never seen before from the C.A. Lawrence Pottery in Beverly. He agreed with me. What led us to this was the overall form, the rim, the handle, the way the potter cut away at the base and the clay color seen on the bottom.

Shown below along with the Beverly-made piece I purchased today is a very-similar formed pitcher that is a known glaze-style and form from Charles A. Lawrence's business from the 1860's and the early-1870's (see Watkins, Early New England Potters and Their Wares, Figure 57a). It was purchased from the very-important William Kelly Young (1933-2009) Collection that sold at Crocker Farm, Inc. in Sparks, Maryland in January of 2010. Young owned an oil company in Texas as a career; however, he also showed a passion for early American redware and stoneware that began in the early 1980's. This pitcher is among the pieces that I am thrilled to own from his collection today. I've actually heard some nice stories about Mr. Young from some of the dealers who used to sell to him in years past.

Here is a link to another example of important Beverly, Mass.-made pottery that Crocker Farm also sold; the base is nearly identical to the base seen on the pitcher I bought today. This pitcher now resides in a very-important collection in the midwest.

 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Very-Likely Made at C.A. Lawrence Pottery - Beverly, Ma

Ca. 1870

Stands 8 1/2" Tall

Purchased from Jewett & Berdan Antiques - Newcastle, Me

 View of the Handle

 View of the Base

 (Right) C.A. Lawrence Pottery Multi-Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pitcher - Beverly, Ma

Ca. 1870

Stands 5 7/8" Tall

Ex-Collection of William Kelly Young - Fort Worth - TX

View of Both Similar Handles

As I have already said, this wasn't all I bought today: I also purchased this brightly glazed red earthenware jar also from Butch Berdan and Tom Jewett. I don't specifically know where the jar was made, but it appears to be a New England maker to me. The glaze is what really captured my attention. It sparkled when I brought it outside in the sunlight. It had a really "nature-like" appearance to it that reminded me of colors I would see in a forest in the summer months. Connecticut dealer and collector, Lewis Scranton has used the phrase "sphagnum peat moss glaze" to me before and that's kind of the idea I thought of when I closely examined this jar today.

Butch said to me, "I'll give it to you for a good price" - and it didn't make sense to leave it behind. The glaze does remind me of glazes that would have been used in Maine in the 1800's, but the form doesn't suggest Maine-made to me. The form appears more-like a Massachusetts potter; however, for now, it falls into the area of a pot that I will have to do more research with at a later time. For now, I will enjoy it for what it is; a beautifully thrown American-made pot with a spectacular glaze.

 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar with a Wonderful Glaze

Presumably a New England Potter

Stands 9 1/2" Tall

Purchased from Jewett & Berdan Antiques - Newcastle, Me

 Another View of the Glaze

 And, Another View of the Glaze

 View of the Interior

View of the Base

There will be more from this antique show later this week.

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