A 19th Century Red Earthenware Flask Discovered in Putnam, Connecticut Last Weekend

If you read any of my recent articles from last weekend - you may have noticed that I discovered a rare example of twentieth-century Canadian-made folk art in an antique store in downtown Putnam, Connecticut. The glass and red earthenware bottle was found in the basement in one of the shops, which was actually the area where most of the discounted items and lower-end objects were kept; although, I managed to pick my way through the basement to find something neat to bring home. However, that's not all that I purchased on this trip.

Among my other discoveries was a nineteenth-century brown-glazed red earthenware flask hidden in a dealer's booth surrounded by mostly nineteenth-century American-made bottles. It seems to be a mere coincidence that I have been searching for a black-glazed or a brown-glazed red earthenware flask for my collection from a Connecticut-based potter. If I could choose, I would rather own a flask that was made in the Hartford, Connecticut-area as opposed to other areas of the state, like the industry in Norwalk, Connecticut, where the potteries are known to have made the form in various sizes in the 1800's. I certainly enjoy Norwalk-made products, but I also enjoy smaller and lesser known potter's businesses, too.

Ultimately, the flask form was produced by eighteenth and nineteenth-century red earthenware and stoneware potters in the northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the south and the midwest. The forms are what often attribute certain examples to specific areas today. It wasn't a form that was made at every potter's business since glass makers were also known for the form, but there was apparently a demand for the pottery form, too that probably saw its height of production and distribution in the American marketplace happen in the 1820-1880 period. Coincidentally, this was also a very-strong period for glass flasks.

 Downtown Putnam, CT

 Downtown Putnam, CT

 Antiques Marketplace - Putnam, CT

Jeremiah's Antiques & Shoppes Putnam, CT

This is the flask that I found. Overall, it is in great condition with some minor wear around the rim. My feeling is that this flask was made in Connecticut, but the form does not exactly match the forms that are attributed to the potteries in Norwalk today. There are some variations in the neck and the lip that do not correspond with what is regularly said to be a Nowalk-made flask. I suppose there is still a chance that this object is a Norwalk-made example; although, my feeling is that this flask was made elsewhere in Connecticut before 1850. Similar examples are seen in Historic New England and Historic Deerfield, Massachusetts' utilitarian pottery collections.

I also want to mention that red earthenware flasks were popular with the potters on Long Island in the 1800's; however, the overall form of this flask does not match known products from that area, either. I really feel this flask was made at one of the small potter's businesses in Connecticut in the nineteenth-century. It's possible that it was made in the Hartford area, but I'm not sure of that.

 19th Century Brown Glazed Red Earthenware Flask Likely Made in Connecticut
Circa 1810-1840
Stands 7 1/8" Tall
Recently Found in a Shop in Putnam, CT

 Another View of the Flask

View of the Base

For what it maters, I believe Crocker Farm in Sparks, Maryland holds the all-time record for a red earthenware flask at auction, which saw an example sell for $23,000 (including buyer's premium) in 2013. The auction house described the flask as "an exceptional redware flask with profuse floral decoration in a three-colored slip. It was likely made in Pennsylvania or possibly Ohio in the first or early second quarter of the nineteenth-century. A similar decorated object, attributed to New Philadelphia, Ohio is pictured in Dianna and J. Garrison Stradling's book, 'The Art of the Potter (page 140).' This particular flask (below) was last purchased in 1947 for $5."

 Early 19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Flask Probably Made in PA or Ohio

Circa 1800-1830

Stands 4 3/4" Tall

Sold for $23,000 in 2013

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

Another View of the Flask

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

The Connecticut potter's are known today for both red earthenware and stoneware flasks. I believe this object holds the auction record for a stoneware flask, where it achieved $40,250 (including buyer's premium) in 2009. Crocker Farm described this flask as an "exceedingly rare and important stoneware flask with a profuse incised bird and a flowering urn decoration. The flask is attributed to the Webster Family in Hartford, Connecticut in the early nineteenth century."

 Early 19th Century Stoneware Flask Attributed to Hartford, CT
Attributed to the Webster Family of Potters
View of the Incised Bird Decoration
Circa 1800-1825
Stands 6 1/2" Tall
Sold for $40,250 in 2009
Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

View of the Incised Flower Decoration

Photo Courtesy: Crocker Farm - Sparks, MD

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

A Beautiful 18th Century Object Owned by Historic Deerfield in Deerfield, Massachusetts

Historic Deerfield's annual Columbus Day Weekend antiques show in Deerfield, Massachusetts will happen this weekend on Saturday October 10th and Sunday October 11th. I visited the museum's Flynt Center last year when I attended the antiques show - the Flynt Center is where a large concentration of the museum's historical antiques collection is kept, which includes red earthenware and stoneware. Although, there is also a strong emphasis, as a whole, devoted to the American decorative arts field from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries.

Today, I thought I would show one of my favorite objects that is currently on display in the Flynt Center. The museum identifies this beautiful object as a product that was made at the Donyatt Pottery in Somerset, England, which is located southwest of London, England. The wares made in Somerset can often be mistaken today for similar wares that were made in North Devon, England, which is located southwest of Somerset.

According to Historic Deerfield, "This large slipware tyg is decorated with four curled top-loop handles. The slip, which has turned yellow, has been sprinkled with ground copper to produce the overall mottled green pattern on both the outside and the inside. The cup is covered with freely drawn stylized sgraffito decoration consisting of three tulips and a bird on the four areas between the handles, over each of which is an inscription and the date, '1774.'

The four inscriptions are 'G W B 1774' (for who the bowl was inscribed where 'G' is probably the first letter of their married name and 'W B' the letters of the first name of the husband and the wife, and the date of the marriage); 'of liquor both neat and fine/ to fill me full is your desire 1774'; 'the gift is small/ love is all 1774', and 'love and live happy 1774'. 

Donyatt sgraffito ware, as is typical of the southwest of England, often have symbolic decorative motifs such as tulips, hearts, and birds. Some of these are similar to the decoration of northern Europe and Pennsylvania German folk pottery. The hour handles on this communal drinking vessel allowed it to be grasped from the center of the table by any of the guests."

18th Century Slip Decorated Sgraffito Earthenware Tyg

Dated 1774

Attributed to the Donyatt Pottery in Somerset, England

Stands 6 1/4" Tall

Measures 11 1/4" Wide

Photo Courtesy: The Flynt Center, Historic Deerfield - Deerfield, MA

Another View of the Tyg

Photo Courtesy: The Flynt Center, Historic Deerfield - Deerfield, MA

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

An Incredible Discovery Today Inside an 18th Century Farm House in Saco, Maine

I made an incredible discovery today thanks to Scarborough, Maine antiques dealer, Rachel Gurley, who directed me towards a very-special group of red earthenware and stoneware objects that were found in an eighteenth-century farm house in Saco, Maine. Personally, I feel this is an incredible discovery for historical reasons rather than aesthetic purposes; however, I also feel this is a local museum-quality discovery in respect to the historical context.

I know very-little about the history of this home, but the homeowner did provide me with some basic information. This is what I know - the home was built in 1767 - it became known as the McKenney family home in the late-eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries. I was also told that multiple generations of the McKenney family lived in this house. I received a quick tour of the home today - and, it appeared that most of this house was still in untouched condition. Rarely, are homes still found in this type of condition today.

This morning, the homeowner held a moving sale - and, he sold a collection of pottery that he found buried behind boards in the attic of this historic home. The group of pottery had been placed inside an eighteenth-century drawer taken from an odd piece of furniture that has not been identified. What is so special about this discovery today is that these objects were found behind the attic boards. The homeowner discovered the group when he was doing work in the attic years back. I personally feel that all of the evidence suggests that these objects were hidden in the attic in the nineteenth-century, which means they may have been discovered in their original context. I don't believe there is any reason to believe otherwise.

All of the objects are damaged - and, thus the reason why the homeowners (possibly the McKenney family) may have placed them in the attic. Frugality may have been a factory here - or, there could be more to this story. It's possible that these objects were put in the attic for a future generation to discover - none-the-less, this is a remarkable discovery. It's not just the context, either. These objects may provide a time capsule into how the utilitarian wares appeared in this part of southern Maine in the nineteenth-century. All of the red earthenware appears to have been made nearby at the Bickford Pottery in Buxton, Maine in the early-to-mid-nineteenth-century; although, there is also an example of Charlestown, Massachusetts stoneware that was probably made before 1830. This stoneware jug may suggest an import system occurred from Charlestown to either nearby Portsmouth, New Hampshire or Portland, Maine - and, that's how this jug made its way into this home in the 1800's.

1767 Farm House in Saco, Maine

Another View of the House

Another View of the House

18th or 19th Century Barn that Goes with the House

This is the Attic Where all of the Objects in this Report were Discovered

I don't think there's a lot more to be said about how wonderful a discovery this is - I'm thrilled over it. I should also note that the following group of photos were not taken in Maine - instead, these pictures were taken in my cellar in my home in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

These objects are all in 'as-found' condition. The homeowner told me when he found the box he left it in the attic. He said he never removed it until he sold it today. I'm someone who usually cleans my pottery for display in my house; however, I will not clean any of these objects. I feel the dirt that covers each item helps tell the story of what was discovered today.

 This is How the Collection of Pottery was Discovered in the Attic

The Drawer is From an 18th Century Piece of Furniture

 Another View of the Drawer

 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made at the Bickford Pottery in Buxton, ME

Circa 1820-1860

Stands 8" Tall

 View of the Handle

 View of the Pouring Spout

  19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made at the Bickford Pottery in Buxton, ME

Circa 1820-1860

Stands 7 3/4" Tall

 Another View of the Pitcher

  19th Century Red Earthenware Jug Likely Made at the Bickford Pottery in Buxton, ME

Circa 1820-1860

Stands 7 1/4" Tall

 Another View of the Jug

  19th Century Red Earthenware Crock Likely Made at the Bickford Pottery in Buxton, ME

Circa 1820-1860

Stands 8 3/4" Tall

 View of the Interior

 Early 19th Century Stoneware Jug Likely Made in  Charlestown, MA

Likely Made at the Frederick Carpenter Pottery

Circa 1800-1820

Stands 8 3/4" Tall

Another View of the Jug

Please Stay Tuned…Much More to Come...

An Example of Early-20th Century Canadian-Made Folk Art Discovered Today in a Shop in Putnam, Connecticut

I traveled to Putnam, Connecticut today with my three-year-old niece, Alexis with the intent to pick the local antique shops. My focus was directed towards pottery while her sights were set on dolls and vintage stuffed animals. Personally, I feel I did pretty-well. I discovered an early-nineteenth-century Connecticut-made red earthenware flask, an oversized nineteenth-century slip decorated English-made red earthenware dish - and, the object that I want to discuss in tonight's report.

We found a wonderful example of early-twentieth-century (likely) Canadian-made folk art buried in the basement in one of the antique shops in Putnam. There are three factors to examine when studying this object - 1) the bottle, 2) the later added exterior surface and 3) the label.

To begin, this bottle was manufactured at the Dominion Glass Company in Montreal, Quebec - and, based on the mark, the bottle was likely made in the first quarter of the twentieth-century. The company made glass products which included bottles and insulators in the nineteenth and twentieth-centuries; although, this product was undoubtedly made in the 1900's.

From there, the bottle was later decorated by the owner with red earthenware and pieces of pine to imitate tree bark. I've seen bark bottles before; however, I have never seen bark bottles made from red earthenware before. The screw-on metal cap and the glass bottle are entirely decorated with the exception of the interiors and the bottle's base. It fascinates me trying to understand how someone could have possibly fired this bottle to form the red earthenware exterior after the bottle had already been manufactured.

The last characteristic that really captured my attention was the way the bottle was labeled, which seems to have imitated some American-made glass apothecary jars from the early-twentieth-century. In this case, the rectangular label was dug into the clay on the front of the bottle with the word, 'MONTREAL' written in gold paint.

According to an article written by Bill Lockhart, Beau Schriever and Bill Lindsay titled, 'The Dominion Glass Companies of Montreal, Canada,' "A bottle with a Diamond-D logo (see below) and no date, month or factory codes would have been made after 1913 and prior to 1928."

I have never seen another bottle decorated like this before. It must be a very-rare object to find today. This wasn't a style that was mass-produced - instead, it was an object that someone probably decorated at home. This is really a wonderful example of (likely) Canadian-made folk art.

 20th Century Canadian-Made Bark Bottle Decorated with Small Pieces of Pine and Red Earthenware

Bottle was Made at the Dominion Glass Company in Montreal, Quebec

Written on the Front in Gold Paint is the Word 'MONTREAL'

Circa 1913-1928

Stands 9 3/4" Tall

Found Today in an Antique Shop in Putnam, CT

 Another View of the Bottle

 Another View of the Bottle

 View of the Word 'MONTREAL' Written in Gold Paint

View of the Base and the Bottle's Mark

Please Stay Tuned…Much More to Come...

A Newly Acquired Rare Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made in Southeastern Massachusetts in the Early-19th Century

Recently, I wrote about an object that seems to have been made by a Great Road red earthenware potter in East Tennesseee (or, maybe Virginia) during the period that overlapped the American Civil War. It's really a rare item to come across today - an item that I am also thrilled to own; although, that was not the only object that I acquired on that day. I also purchased the following early-nineteenth-century red earthenware pitcher that was likely made by one of the potters, who were employed in southeastern Massachusetts, an area that is also referred to today as 'Bristol County.' The pitcher was discovered by Pennsylvania antiques dealer, Jeff Graybill, from whom I also purchased it - he found it at an antique show in the midwest earlier this year.

My feeling is that this pitcher could be interpreted as from a few different areas. I believe the glaze (and, the form, to some extent) could be mistaken for a known style that was accomplished in Essex County, Massachusetts (i.e. Danvers, Mass. & Peabody, Mass.) in the early-nineteenth-century. However, the form matches examples that are regularly attributed to southeastern Massachusetts today. This attribution was developed decades ago before 1950.

For the sake of this discussion, I have shown a related pitcher that is owned by the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. - and, published examples that are pictured in Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins book, 'Early New England Potters and Their Wares' and another example that is discussed in an article written for 'Antiques & Fine Arts Magazine.' I have also shown what I perceive to be the best glazed of these pitchers known today. All of these examples are discussed below - and, I should also note that this is a very-rare form to find today.

The rare smaller size of this thinly potted pitcher is really what caught my attention. Most of the known pitchers in this form today are a little larger in size. The glaze on this pitcher is also unusual; although, it seems that most of the glazes found in this style of pitcher today are rather unusual (see examples below).

 Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made in Southeastern Massachusetts

Circa 1790-1830

Stands 6 1/2" Tall
Recently Found at an Antiques Show in the Midwest

 Another View of the Pitcher

Another View of the Pitcher

View of the Handle

 View of the Base

View of the Interior

What I am doing now is to show some of the known pitchers that are owned today by national museums and private collectors, which demonstrate a related form when compared to the pitcher that I recently acquired. It's really interesting to see this grouping together in relation to the diverse variation in glaze styles that are seen to range from darker colored glazes to brightly colored glazes. I also find it interesting that all of these objects are decorated in multiple colors, which shows the attention that was given to this specific form. I should also mentioned that all of these objects were thinly thrown by the potter.

This first pitcher (left) was recently discovered in a shop in Rowley, Massachusetts. I was told it was new to the shop - and, it had been recently found in a home in coastal Massachusetts. I have also shown the other pitcher (right) that I recently purchased, which I discuss above. You should be able to see that the forms basically mirror each other in style with few exceptions - and, the handles are pretty-much the same, too.

 (Left) Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made in Southeastern Massachusetts

Circa 1790-1830

Stands 7 7/8" Tall

Recently Found in a House in Coastal Massachusetts

(Left) View of the Handle

Here is another related pitcher, which is depicted in figure 38 of Lura Woodside Watkin's important book, 'Early New England Potters and Their Wares.' This pitcher is now owned by the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. It is attributed to southeastern Massachusetts. This pitcher was hand-thrown in the expected larger size that I refer to above.

 Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made in Southeastern Massachusetts

Circa 1790-1830

Stands 7 1/2" Tall

Lura Woodside Watkins Collection

Pictured in Figure 38 in the Book, 'Early New England Potters and Their Wares'

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian - Washington, D.C.

View of the Handle

 Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian - Washington, D.C.

This next pitcher is also attributed to southeastern Massachusetts - it was published in a magazine article in the 1990's written by Lester Breininger and Greg Kramer for 'Antiques & Fine Art Magazine.' The article describes the pitcher as a "lidded pot made in southeastern Massachusetts around 1820 standing 6 3/4 inches tall."

Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made in Southeastern Massachusetts

Circa 1790-1830

Stands 6 3/4" Tall

Pictured in the Magazine Article, 'American Redware' for 'Antiques & Fine Art Magazine'

Photo Courtesy: Private New England Collection

View of the Lid

Photo Courtesy: Private New England Collection

And, last, is this pitcher that was originally found in a house on Cape Cod in Massachusetts by antiques dealer, Brian Cullity. I should mention that Cape Cod is not a far distance from Bristol County, Massachusetts, either. Personally, I feel this pitcher is the finest of these pitchers that are known today with an extremely desired glaze. It's really a remarkable object that is easily museum-quality.

 Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Likely Made in Southeastern Massachusetts

Circa 1790-1830

Stands Approximately 7" to 8" Tall

Originally Found in a House on Cape Cod in Massachusetts

Photo Courtesy: Private New England Collection

View of the Handle

Photo Courtesy: Private New England Collection

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