A Pair of Recently Discovered 19th Century Massachusetts Red Earthenware Flower Pots

I have been fortune enough to discover a few interesting flower pots lately made by two separate important nineteenth century Massachusetts earthenware potters. The first was molded at the Hews Pottery probably in the 1870s or the 1880s. The Hews Pottery was started by Abraham Hews in Weston, Massachusetts in the eighteenth century before the business adapted to the needs of the Industrial Revolution - and relocated to a more convenient industrial-type atmosphere in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

This flower pot is an example of the company's molded garden products made after 1860. Dozens of workers were employed in Cambridge, which makes it difficult to associate any potter to the mold. The pot shows decoration in relief with a simple, but vibrant hand-painted exterior. Even more interesting, is seeing an impressed HEWS mark on the base. 

I always look for products made at the Hews Pottery when I am out exploring the shops throughout New England - and this is the first piece I have ever found with a mark. Of all places, I found this pot at a vintage store in my home city of Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was sitting covered in dirt tucked away on the floor surrounded by all types of vintage material. Newburyport is only about thirty miles north of Cambridge situated between the Merrimac River and the Atlantic Ocean on Boston's North Shore. Its anybody's guess as to how the pot found its way north; however the store I discovered it in tends to receive a lot of its inventory from local estates - which makes a local home a strong possibility.

If you compare the painter's or decorator's hand on this pot - to a pot I recently wrote about that I thought may have been made in West Sterling, Massachusetts, you'll notice both hands show an urgency with the small amount of paint that was placed on the inside. I feel both pots are from the same era. I also think both my attributions are accurate. Here is a link to that report.

Hews Pottery Painted Red Eartheware Molded Flower Pot - Cambridge, Ma

Ca. 1870s or 1880s

6 Inches Tall

Found in Newburyport, Ma

The Base is Impressed with the Company Name, HEWS

I was absolutely thrilled when I saw this second pot sitting on a bottom shelf below a street side window in Salem, Massachusetts earlier this week. It was mixed in with about ten or eleven modern flower pots - all of which were roughly the same size. Stuck inside this pot were a few molded terra-cotta flower pots made no more than ten years ago, possibly in China.

I stopped into the shop on my way home from work. I knew exactly what it was when I picked it up. I knew instantly. I spotted the pot from twenty or thirty feet away. This potter happens to be among my favorite American potters. The color of the clay matches the clay seen on a pair of flower pots attributed to Charles A. Lawrence in Beverly, Massachusetts from probably the 1870s. These pots can be seen in the article I wrote about Lawrence Pottery, which was published in the January 2014 edition of the New England Antiques Journal. Here is a link to that report (click the link and look for the flower pots that I am referring to).

The pot was found in a vintage shop in downtown Salem that specializes in house clean outs, downsizing and estate sales. I stop into this particular shop quite a bit and almost always find nothing, but this time I was in the right place at the right time. It doesn't appear to have traveled too far over the years as Beverly is the next town over. I was told it was found in a home in Salem. The pot was sold to me as a simple vintage terra-cotta flower pot with no more description than that.

Lawrence Pottery Attributed Red Earthenware Flower Pot - Beverly, Ma

Ca. 1860s to 1880s

7 3/4 Inches Tall

Found in Salem, Ma

This flower pot's form is exceptional! It stands just under eight inches tall. I have never seen anything like it before. The slightly round rim and rounded base are really interesting. The pot should also not be compared to terra-cotta flower pots, but rather - it feels and appears like an unglazed red earthenware utilitarian crock. It's thickly potted and may date back to the 1860s when Lawrence Pottery was first established. I have a very strong feeling its a product from Lawrence Pottery's first few years of operation.

Very Unusual Rim

The Pot Should Not be Associated with Terra-Cotta Flower Pots

It is Thickly Potted and Feels Like an Unglazed Utilitarian Crock

Both of these pots were unexpected finds - that I am very excited to have come across. You never know what's out there until you look! I really do believe there are many more examples still to be uncovered from a variety of American potters. All you have to do is explore your interests!

Please Stay Tuned…Much More to Come!

18th and 19th Century Raspberry and Cream Glazes Applied by American Utilitarian Red Earthenware Potters in the Northeast

A cream and raspberry colored glaze is not common by any means from eighteenth or nineteenth century American utilitarian potters; however the glaze has appeared in a variety of contexts throughout New England. The earliest use I can see, appears in colonial Charlestown, Massachusetts within a privy at the Three Cranes Tavern. The tavern was the center piece of Charlestown at one time. It was originally built for the town's founder, John Winthrop as a home and a Puritan meeting house before it burned at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. Five privies were associated with the tavern when it was dug in the 1980s and a crock was reassembled from the latest privy with a suggested discarded date of 1770. I am unaware of its manufacturer, but all indications suggest a local coastal Massachusetts potter would make the most sense.

 18th Century Utilitarian Earthenware Crock Found in Charlestown, Ma

Excavated from a Privy at the Three Cranes Tavern

Ca. 1765-1775

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

Colorful Raspberry and Cream Colored Glaze

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

A similar glazed jug is seen at the Dyer Memorial Library in Abington, Massachusetts - as part of the eighteenth century collection of red earthenware by the potter John Henry Benner. The jug was donated to the historical society without a strong provenience or an attribution. It may have been made by John Henry Benner - or it may have been produced by a potter employed in northern New England - where a similar glaze was also used. I am hopeful the glaze comparison between the jug and the Charlestown crock are more than only a coincidence. Its interesting to see two similar glazes, that are not common, but each was found roughly twenty miles apart. Whether the jug is an eighteenth century product or not is yet to be determined.

  18th or 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug

Kept Within the John Henry Benner Collection of Red Earthenware in Abington, Ma

Photo Courtesy: Dyer Memorial Library - Abington, Ma

Colorful Raspberry and Cream Colored Glaze

Photo Courtesy: Dyer Memorial Library - Abington, Ma

The use of raspberry and cream glazes appear to have transitioned into the nineteenth century with northern New England potters. I am unaware if there is any eighteenth century Massachusetts connection. A similar glaze is seen in a trash pile full of broken earthenware and kiln wasters at the actual Bickford Family Pottery in Buxton, Maine. The Bickford Pottery operated from the first quarter of the nineteenth century up into the 1880s. The  context of these shards suggests a possible 1840 to 1860 timeframe. A milk pan that matches shards from the Bickford site is also shown for comparison. The milk pan was discovered just south of Maine in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

  19th Century Raspberry and Cream Glazed Red Earthenware Shard

Found at the Bickford Pottery Site in Buxton, Me   

 

19th Century Raspberry and Cream Glazed Red Earthenware Shard

Together with a Matching Milk Pan

Shard Found at the Bickford Pottery Site in Buxton, Me

Last July, my nephew, Jason and myself found a large raspberry and cream glazed utilitarian crock while searching through the flea market fields in Brimfield, Massachusetts. It was purchased from a local dealer. The jug has an eighteenth century feel to it. I initially thought it was a product of the Charlestown earthenware industry due to the similar glazed crock uncovered at the Three Cranes Tavern, but I guess another potter is possible. Raspberry and cream glazes were also used in parts of Maine, Vermont and Western New York in the nineteenth century.  It must have been the vibrant colors that appealed to the consumer since it was used by so many nineteenth century businesses. Who would have thought this mixture of glazes would have been so popular throughout New England and really the northeast?!

 My Nephew, Jason with a Raspberry and Cream Glazed Utilitarian Crock

Found in Brimfield, Ma - July 2013

Probably From an 18th Century Massachusetts Maker

But Also Possibly from a Maine or Vermont Potter

Colorful Raspberry and Cream Colored Interior Glaze
Very Similar Colors to Those Seen in Abington and Charlestown, Mass

The raspberry and cream colored glazes seen in Maine, Vermont and Western New York are typically softer colors than the examples in Abington and Charlestown. It is interesting to know - that I have not seen any other similar glazed shards in the Charlestown Archaeology Collection. I actually cannot recall ever having seen anything even close to these colors. There are a lot of reds, greens, blacks and unglazed material - and of course, lots of slip decoration, but no raspberry and cream. The collection shows a huge variety of glaze colors so it is possible there is more to be discovered.

I do feel the jug at the Dyer Memorial Library may be related to the crock from Charlestown, due to the strong similarities in color. With that under consideration, I wonder if John Henny Benner, an immigrant German potter could be responsible for both? Benner initially began working south of Boston in an area known as Germantown in the 1750s, which is a part of Quincy, Massachusetts today. When that area disappeared, Benner emerged nearby in Abington in the 1760s and continued to work there until the latter years of the eighteenth century. The Dyer Memorial Library does have kiln furniture and shards from Benner's operation in Abington, but none of the glazes resemble what we see in this report. Lura Woodside Watkins (Early New England Potters and Their Wares) also collected red earthenware shards from the Germantown-area and her findings were the same.

 Red Earthenware Shards from "Germantown" - Quincy, Ma

Ca. 1750s

Lura Woodside Watkins Collection

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

  Red Earthenware Shards from "Germantown" - Quincy, Ma

Attributed to John Henry Benner

Ca. 1750s

Lura Woodside Watkins Collection

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

Glazed Kiln Bricks from the Site of John Henry Benner's Business - Abington, Ma

Ca. 1760s to 1790s

Photo Courtesy: Dyer Memorial Library - Abington, Ma

1770 was a controversial time to be living in Boston - and even in Charlestown with politics, power and Parliament playing a major role in the daily lives of colonists. Without getting into the specifics about Charlestown's earthenware industry - there may be reasons to believe the  industry was in decline by 1770 - due to the state of local protests, the economy and an unstable urban lifestyle for many people. It is unlikely, but Charlestown may have seen a small group of imported red earthenware make its way into town. It is also possible the crock from the Three Cranes Tavern may have traveled by some means into Charlestown by way of a visitor or an individual who had relocated. It is also possible the glaze was used in Charlestown in only a sparing amount by a potter who is known, but not yet identified to this type of glaze. There is also a chance the potter is not known. It's all theory, but its also very interesting to try and gauge why this broken crock ended up in a privy in the center of Charlestown around 1770. It's equally interesting to try and grasp the idea that these eighteenth century glazes may have influenced potters elsewhere in America in the nineteenth century. 

Much More to Come...

American Merchants Tied in with 19th Century European and American Ceramic Manufacturers - A General Study

While visiting a group of shops on the Maine seacoast this weekend - I came across a rather interesting molded earthenware pitcher. I have never seen anything quite like it before. The base read, Amos Seaver, Chelsea. According to the tag that accompanied the pitcher; Mid-1800s Stoneware, Black Satin-Glaze, Pitcher by Amos Seaver of Chelsea, Molded Decorations, Squat Spherical Body, 8 Vertical Sections, Applied Handle, Mint Condition, Related Item with Similar Decoration is in the Brooklyn Museum (New York). The asking price was $295.

It is my belief the pitcher probably dates from around the mid-nineteenth century. I have done a bunch of background research on the name Amos Seaver - and in theory Seaver was not actually a potter, but rather a merchant. He was probably working in Chelsea, Massachusetts. I have seen similar inked and impressed stamps from various nineteenth century merchants throughout the northeast. The products varied, but the stamps were usually consistent. In this case, the potter probably applied the stamp as the product was made. The potter may have taken a commission from many merchants and this is how they would keep track of their output. Its a similar idea American potters used with matching numbers placed on lidded forms. I have seen similar red earthenware pitchers made in other parts of the country; however I do not tie this form to any New England potters - especially since it is not a red earthenware product.

The York, Maine auctioneer, Hap Moore sold a similar earthenware pitcher at a sale held in August of 2008. Hap Moore prides himself on fresh-to-market antiques from local New England households - many of which have never been offered for sale in an antique dealer and collector environment. I assume this is the same pitcher of discussion, which probably means it is from a local Maine, New Hampshire or northern Massachusetts household.

(Please excuse the photo quality - I used my iPhone to take these two pictures)

 19th Century Molded Earthenware Pitcher

Ca. 1840-1880

Interesting Decoration in Relief
Probably an English Manufacturer

Seen in a Shop in Ogunquit, Me

Asking Price: $295

 Stamped - Amos Seaver, Chelsea on Base
Seaver was Likely a Chelsea, Ma Merchant

The New Hampshire  Historical Society owns a pitcher of a similar idea as part of its collection. It is attributed to Jeremiah Burpee of Boscowan, New Hampshire. I understand there is an attribution to Burpee, but I have speculated in the past that the Burpee Pottery may have sold its red earthenware products along with English earthenware imports. I am indecisive on which category the Historical Society's pitcher would fall under. Burpee only traditionally worked with red earthenware and the NHHSO's example may be a different colored clay - which leads to a possible English manufacturer. This piece does not bear a stamp on its base, but it would be fascinating if it did read something related to the Burpee Pottery and Boscowan. I think there's a lot of confusion as to what the Burpee Pottery's true identity was. Important and early publications have helped contribute to this confusion due to Burpee Pottery attributions that are actually English products imported throughout coastal New England. Burpee Pottery should not be regarded as anything more than a business that produced and sold traditional utilitarian pottery. The Burpee name may also be linked to both a potter and a merchant, but I am yet to validate this idea. Many eighteenth-century successful potters acted as both merchants and potters like Anthony Duché in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Isaac & Grace Parker in Charlestown, Massachusetts and Samuel Marshall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

19th Century Earthenware Pitcher Attributed to Jeremiah Burpee - Boscowan, NH

Ca. 1830-1860
No Stamp or Signature

Photo Courtesy: New Hampshire Historical Society - Concord, NH

I happen to own a pair (not matching) of nineteenth century red earthenware teapots that were made at one of the factories in England. One example bears the mark of a probable New York City merchant - while the other is not marked. Both of these are examples of English imports brought into coastal American cities during the nineteenth century. Each were probably molded - and likely ordered by a merchant. The unmarked teapot was found in Maine last year - while the other was purchased from Cape Cod antiques dealer, Brian Cullity some-time ago.

The mark reads - James M. Shaw & Co, New York.

 Pair of 19th Century Red Earthenware Molded Teapots

Probably English Manufacturers

Ca. 1850-1880

Larger Teapot Stamped - James M. Shaw & Co, New York

Purchased from Brian Cullity Antiques - Sagamore, Ma

This is not the only occasion I have seen a mark from James M. Shaw & Co. The Shaw company name and the St. Regis hotel in New York City is stamped on the base of a ceramic bowl seen below. Also stamped is the ceramic brand, Warwick China and the date, 1930. This was likely a very-large order placed by the hotel through James M. Shaw & Co. around 1930.

A Little Bit of Information About the St. Regis Hotel

It took three years for the hotel to complete its construction, which began in 1901 - before finally opening in 1904. In 1930, the hotel was eighteen stories high and modeled after a French Beaux-Arts style hotel. It was built as a sister-hotel by one of America's richest men (John Jacob Astor IV) to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel (also in New York). Here is a link to the present-day hotel.

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With this understanding - and the idea the retailer James M. Shaw was involved with such a prestigious New York City operation, lends me the idea that the Shaw name was prestigious among American merchants and the American consumer (marketplace). The Shaw name may have only sold what it regarded to be the best American-made and imported European products - and this is what I believe many of the merchant impressed wares were about. Most the names placed on nineteenth century products - were successful businessmen, with the means to bring high-quality products into America. These same merchants sometimes contracted with domestic manufacturers to provide high-end American products to the local marketplace.

 Warwick China Ceramic Bowl Made for the St. Regis Hotel in NYC, NY

Ca. 1930
Possibly Made in East Liverpool, Oh

Photo Courtesy: Ebay

James M. Shaw & Co - Merchant Stamp

Photo Courtesy: Ebay

I have put some research into who James M. Shaw was, but I have not been successful into tying him with any English or American potters. In fact, I haven't been able to find much information about his background at all. His business may date back to colonial America. The Shaw name may have descended through the years under family ownership - or he may have been a nineteenth century merchant who continued to work into the twentieth century. That is still under research.

This is the second teapot in this form I have seen with Shaw's name impressed into it. The other is in another private New England collection. I believe the black teapots above date between 1850-1880 - so I would probably like to learn more about the ownership of this company since a Shaw stamp is seen on a dated ceramic bowl in 1930 - tied in with one of New York City's most prominent hotels and wealthiest Americans. My questions would really revolve around how far the name James M. Shaw & Co. dates back and how far into the twentieth-century it is seen.

Anyone who may be interested in the earthenware pitcher stamped, Amos Seaver - may contact the antique shop, Blacksmith's Mall at the center of Ogunquit, Maine on Route 1 - (207) 646-9643. I assume it is an English manufacturer with a stamp from an important American merchant. I have never seen anything else like it before. The name Seaver may have been equally prominent in Boston as was Shaw in New York City. I would buy it, but it doesn't currently fit into my collecting, writing or study needs. I think it's definitely worth it!

Much More to Come...

A Brief Background of Vermont Potters - And a Newly Found 19th Century Jug

Relatively, not a lot is known of nineteenth century Vermont red earthenware potters today. The industry was dominated primarily by the Fenton and Farrer families, but there were probably a small number of potters that worked in small country atmospheres, who are few and far between common knowledge today.

Vermont's utilitarian potter's industry is most known for its stoneware products. Clays were brought in from New Jersey and New York that allowed potters to work with stoneware creations. This movement was led by the potters who worked in Bennington, Vermont; however, red earthenware potters did work in areas throughout the state, which were probably led by the potters who worked in the Greater Middlebury area. The towns of Hinesburg, Poultney, New Haven, St. Johnsbury and Dorset were also thought to have had a solid output of red earthenware. The red earthenware industry in Vermont was probably smaller than that seen in Maine or New Hampshire. It was arguably the smallest industry in New England - in front of only Rhode Island, which did not really see any nineteenth century red earthenware businesses.

It's my belief the Maine and New Hampshire potters had more travel routes to export their wares - and that is partially why more potters prospered in these states. The Maine potters were surrounded by an enormous seacoast with many rivers. New Hampshire potters had many opportunities to sell to small communities throughout the state - along with a few important cities; such as Portsmouth, Exeter and Concord. Portsmouth may have also served as a community that helped distribute products made by New Hampshire potters.

There were two major liabilities the potters in Vermont saw - the first, was the largely succesfull stoneware industry that supplied much of the state. Many people from Vermont may have seen stoneware as a product that was durable, lasted longer and over-time, the product saved the consumer money since it did not break as easily as red earthenware. The products to the west in upstate New York were also dominated by stoneware potters - stoneware probably supplied much of those households with utilitarian wares. Not a lot of red earthenware is thought to have been made in that part of New York, and the preference likely remained with the local stoneware. Its doubtful much red earthenware was imported into that part of New York. The stoneware products made in upstate eastern New York may have also been sold in parts of Vermont.

The second obstacle potters in Vermont had to compensate for were mountains, which really, in most cases blocked much of Vermont from the rest of New England. This made any distribution routes to the east difficult to travel across by foot or wagon. As a result, red earthenware potters were probably very limited in the amount they could export to areas at a great length outside of the region. Based on the affect seen from Vermont's landscape and the impact the stoneware industry had on the state's red earthenware potters, it is my belief locally produced red earthenware was usually only intended for the local market.

I also believe nineteenth century Canadian utilitarian pottery was probably imported into parts of northern Vermont.

I can only imagine any type of Vermont-made red earthenware is very rare today. I do know some of the state's red earthenware can be crude, while others can be extremely refined with colorful glazes. Vermont red earthenware can also be mistaken for Maine potters, which the same - can be mistaken for Vermont products.

Vermont potters made the usual traditional forms like jugs, pitchers, milk pans, maple syrup cruets (not as traditional), crocks, stew pots and related kitchen wares. A form they did make that is not common to potters elsewhere in New England are butter churns and vases. Churns and vases were made in a variety of sizes and glazes. Examples of Vermont red earthenware are represented in such museum collections as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Art Institute of Chicago in Illinois.

Edwin William Farrer Red Earthenware Jar - Middlebury, Vt

Ca. 1840-1860

Photo Courtesy: Art Institute of Chicago - Chicago, Il

An interesting cream and salmon glazed jug recently emerged from an attic in a house that was built in 1787 in Barnet, Vermont. Barnet is west of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Its roughly sevently miles east of Burlington and about a hundred miles away from the Middlebury area, which was the area's largest industry of red earthenware potters. I can imagine its a rather rural area - with no reason why a jug from elsewhere in New England would appear in an attic in such an early home.

The jug reminds me of a southern Maine glaze and form. The handle reminds me of potters who worked in Essex County Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire. Potters in northern New England were known to have had a strong influence from the industries in Massachusetts - and this may be an example of that.

Red Earthenware Jug Found in Barnet, Vt

Ca. 1840-1860

Measures 7 1/4 Tall

Handle Similar to Some Essex County, Ma and NH Potters
Overall Form Similar to Some Southern Maine Potters

I personally feel this jug was made in Vermont before 1850. I do not have an attribution because there is still a lot more to be learned about the potters in that state. I will say that St. Johnsbury is only ten miles north of Barnet - and there was an output of red earthenware products there; however, not enough is known about that business. The context the jug was found within suggests a Vermont potter is very likely. I thought the form, size and glaze may be of interest for those who of you who enjoy Maine and Vermont potters.

For those you who also understand upstate western New York red earthenware; this glaze is very-much similar to some glaze styles used by Lorenzo Johnson in Newstead, New York around the mid-nineteenth century - but the form is not associated with that area. It is still interesting to see the glaze comparison.

Much More to Come..

The Diversity of Late 19th & Early 20th Century Products Made at theMerrimac Pottery Company in Newburyport, Mass - Part 5

This is a period retail advertisement I saw at the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts a few weeks ago. In 1871-1872 - the retailer, Hinrich's of New York City placed an ad for their 71st Annual Display of Fancy Goods, Glass, China, Toys, & etc. For the Holidays "Is Now Ready." The ad reminded me of where many of the finer products potters produced after 1870 - and through the remainder of the nineteenth century may have occasionally ended up.

"Terra cotta, lava or sydrolith ware: vases, coupes, floweramples, punch or oyster bowls, ink and card stands, richly decorated in gilt, platina or rustic, including all the latest patterns. Lava busts and figures, flower-amples, pots and baskets in different patterns and colors. Fish and flower stands, ferneries, etc. animal heads and wall panellings."

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I have always thought of the Merrimac Pottery Company in Newburyport, Massachusetts as a business that produced red earthenware products. The area has provided abundant clays for potters since the eighteenth century. Names like Clement Kent, Ebenezer Morrison, John Thomas and the Bayley family all drew from the same clay source at least a hundred years before Thomas Nickerson did-so for the Merrimac Pottery Company.

I recently read Nickerson imported clays from Ohio. This idea puzzled me. The idea of what I had always believed as opposed to what I read definitely conflicted with the need and what seemed to be an unnecessary business expense. However, after recently visiting the Historic Society of Old Newbury  in Newburyport - I understood what Nickerson's need for imported clays entailed. There is a chance Nickerson may have contracted with one of the many art potters who worked in Ohio during the period for the desired  clays. Ohio art potters were arguably at the center of the Arts and Crafts Movement at the turn of the twentieth century.

Jay Williamson (Curator of the Historic Society of Old Newbury) and Chris Snow (Antique Dealer and Past President of the Historic Society of Old Newbury) excavated a large collection of shards from the site of Nickerson's company as construction was happening for a condominium development in 1998. What they found was a group of shards dominated by terra-cotta or red earthenware products - but there were a small amount of shards made of white clay. I assume these products were what the imported clays from Ohio were intended for.

 Collection of Earthenware Shards Found at the Merrimac Pottery Company in Newburyport, Ma

Photo Courtesy: Historic Society of Old Newbury - Newburyport, Ma

Collection of Earthenware Shards Found at the Merrimac Pottery Company in Newburyport, Ma
Photo Courtesy: Historic Society of Old Newbury - Newburyport, Ma

Earthenware Shards Possibly Made from Imported Ohio Clays

 Shards Found at the Merrimac Pottery Company in Newburyport, Ma
Photo Courtesy: Historic Society of Old Newbury - Newburyport, Ma

The historical society owns a nice selection of pottery made at the Merrimac Pottery Company. Their collection appears to be made up of products only made from local clays used for red earthenware. I have recently written extensively about ancient forms made from Portland, Maine, Concord, New Hampshire and throughout parts of Massachusetts that focused on Grecian styles beginning in 1870 up through the early 1900s. Nickerson's company was apart of this movement. A lid is pictured below from one of these Grecian forms. It was probably a part of the company's line of terra-cotta garden products. The name, Merrimac is prominently marked across the top of it.

Merrimac Pottery Company Grecian Lid - Newburyport, Ma
Probably from a Garden Product

Ca. 1902-1908

Photo Courtesy: Historic Society of Old Newbury - Newburyport, Ma

I recently discovered a similar decorated bowl; however it is made of the white clays that were probably from elsewhere in America (likely Ohio). It is my belief these earthenware products are extremely rare when compared to the red earthenware ancient styles. The bowl is also paper thin - which surprises me that it has survived - in an almost flawless condition - for more than a hundred years.

It's also very interesting to know that Nickerson modeled most of his Grecian forms after actual examples kept at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston -- this bowl happens to be one of those examples.

Merrimac Pottery Company Earthenware Bowl - Newburyport, Ma

Ca. 1902-1908

Modeled After a Form at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts

Measures 6" Across

 

Wonderful Ancient Figures in Relief

Very Thinly Potted

I examined the shards from the Merrimac Pottery Company out of curiosity a few weeks ago. I didn't imagine they would reveal so much information as seen from this report and the previous four.

See the Links Below for Previous Merrimac Pottery Company Reports:

Report 1 - "Floral Products Made Before 1902"
Report 2 - "Monumental Garden Products Made After 1902"
Report 3 - "Stamps and Labels Used at the Merrimac Pottery Company Between 1897-1908"
Report 4 - "Partially Glazed Shards Similar to Utilitarian Earthenware Crocks"

There will be more about the Merrimac Pottery Company and additional early American potters to come! Please stay tuned!

A Rare 19th Century Ancient Earthenware Vase Found in a Coastal Maine Home

A recent discovery has caused me to get quite excited about its potential for an important example of nineteenth century New England pottery. The following vase is a wonderful example of ancient products made during the latter years of the nineteenth century. It was purchased at a Nan Gurley antique show in Portsmouth, New Hampshire over the weekend. The dealer told me he had just pulled it from a house in the Portland, Maine area. I looked it over carefully. I wasn't convinced who the maker was, but I knew it was something special. I initially thought it may have been made at a business in Portland because of where it was found. I had remembered seeing a period advertisement for ancient products made in Portland in the 1870s - but when I got home, I realized that company was the Portland Stonware Company and none of their ancient pottery was made of red earthenware.

The other companies I had in mind were Chelsea Keramic Art Works in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Charles A. Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Massachusetts and John Farmer Clark Pottery in Concord, New Hampshire. Due to its characteristics, I knew it had to be one of these companies.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts owns a wonderful example (click here for MFA page) of the Grecian styles made in Chelsea at the Chelsea Keramic Art Works under the guidance of the Robertson family. I carefully examined the jar I recently acquired with that in the MFA and other known examples in the collection of Historic New England. It just didn't seem to fit. The biggest deterrent was an interior glaze on the Maine-found jar that is similar to glazes seen on utilitarian earthenware crocks. From all the examples I have seen made in Chelsea - all were painted black on the interior or left plain. None had a utilitarian glaze.

Thomas Nickerson applied a utilitarian glaze to some of his garden products at the Merrimac Pottery Company in Newburyport, Massachusetts (late 19th and early 20th centuries), but he did not produce anything like this form. Here is a link to a form made in Newburyport with the type of glazed interior I am referring to.

I then examined a few examples of John Farmer Clark's ancient forms in Historic New England's collection. The decoration applied to his forms were not as skilled. They were simpler. The forms also did not compare to this vase. The New Hampshire Historical Society owns about a dozen examples of John Farmer Clark's Grecian wares and none were glazed on the interior. Most were not painted and of those that were, the black paint decoration was simple when compared to that on this jar. It was basic designs - nothing like what is seen here.

If you examine the hand-painted decoration on the vase found in Maine to that on the Chelsea Keramic jar in the Museum of Fine Arts - you will see similar painted figures. It is really difficult to understand the painting of any of these companies (Beverly, Chelsea and Concord) because so little of this type of material has survived. In fact, I know of only a small amount of any of these ancient forms which have survived today - and nearly all are in museums in the northeast. To my knowledge, the Smithsonian does not have any in its collection in Washington, D.C.

I feel the rarest of all these companies were the examples made in Beverly. I compared this jar to the example signed by Charles A. Lawrence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (click here for MET page) - and what I found is a very similar handle with an identical painted black stripe to that of the jar that appeared at the Portsmouth Show. What I have also found is a similar interior glaze was used on crocks in Beverly from a collection of shards I have collected next to where Lawrence's business operated on the Bass River. The color of the black paint is also similar to the example in the MET. The black paint used in Chelsea seems to have remained bolder over the years - and this has stood true from examples I have seen in the MFA, Historic New England and in a private collection. The base on this vase and that in the MET are also similar.

Lawrence employed the artist, Thomas Pitman of Marblehead, Massachusetts to decorate his Grecian products. The painted decoration on this jar is likely an example of Pitman's work.

Charles A. Lawrence Attributed Grecian Vase - Beverly, Ma

Ca. 1870-1880

Wonderful Hand-Painted Decoration

 Handle Very Similar to the Painted Handle in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC

That Handle was Made at Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Ma

Glazed Interior Similar to Many Glazes Applied on Utilitarian Earthenware Crocks

This is only the third example of painted Grecian products made in Beverly that I have ever seen or really know of. The others are in a private collection and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. All of the Grecian forms made in Newburyport, Beverly, Concord, Chelsea and Portland were actually modeled after original ancient forms made throughout Europe and Egypt. What I like about this particular vase is it has a personality from the woman carrying an ancient piece of pottery on her head.

You can read more about Lawrence Pottery in a report I wrote for the January 2013 edition of the New England Antiques Journal. Here is a link to that report. Lura Woodside Watkisn also wrote about these forms in her book, Early New England Potters and Their Wares, but she does not appear to have ever owned an example. All of her collection is now in the Smithsonian. I believe she only wrote about the advertisements she researched - and ancient forms was a product Lawrence Pottery placed in its ads.

Much More to Come...

18th Century Earthenware from Buckley, England at Faneuil Hall (Buckley Pottery Report 1)

The Faneuil Hall (Boston) archaeology collection is essentially a melting pot of Old and New World ceramics all thrown into a big trash pit. Most of what we know as that part  of Boston today is actually filled in land from the 1700s. All sorts of trash was deposited in order to extend Boston's land. Archaeological excavations have yielded an incredible collection of pre-1775 ceramics and most of which, dates before 1742 due to its archaeological context. The context comes from part of a building's addition that was removed. Many of the artifacts were found below it. The addition was built in 1742 so a general understanding is all of the artifacts were in place when the building was erected.

The area really was a hotspot for all kinds of international and domestic imports. Pictured below are probably examples of domestic red earthenware from the appropriate period. One of the shards was involved with a fire. The black soot was not caused in the potter's kiln. It may have come from a person or persons attempting to burn the trash deposited at Faneuil Hall or it may be from an actual fire. It could also have been the result of cooking over an open fire in the household. The cause is really not known. A similar form was made all over New England after the American Revolution - and its production continued by potters working in many communities in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

I will not get into the potential maker of any of these shards at this time.

 18th Red Earthenware Shards

Probably From a Milk Pan

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

18th Century Red Earthenware Crock

Probably Used for Storage

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

Crock Was Exposed to a Fire at One Time

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

Earthenware products from the Caribbean are found all over the Faneuil Hall collection. If you look at the center of the clay in these shards - it shows a similar clay color like the shards I recently wrote about attributed to the Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Massachusetts. I cannot recall ever really seeing this effect from another American potter's products. It may have something to do with the pots thickness and how it reacted with the heat of the kiln. Here is a link to that recent report.

These shards may have held a product imported from the southern colonies or another area intended for the Boston market. More information would need to be gathered to determine what may have been happening.

18th Century Caribbean Earthenware

May Have Contained a Product Imported Into Boston

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

Gray Colored Clay is Similar to the Color of Some Shards at the Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Ma

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

There are additional shards from the Faneuil Hall collection that can be compared to the Lawrence Pottery in Beverly. Take a look at this artifact and the way a finger made the decoration on the unglazed exterior. That decoration is very similar to the candlestick that was featured in my recent report about Charles Lawrence's business in the January 2013 edition of the New England Antiques Journal. Here is a link to that report.

I do not totally understand the form this shard was apart of, but I will guess and say it is from a flower pot. The decoration and rim appear that way to me. I have no idea if this is an American or an imported product. I have never seen anything like it before with the exception of the Beverly-made candlestick produced more than a hundred years later.

18th Century Earthenware Shard - Possibly from a Flower Pot

Similar Decoration to a Candlestick Made at the Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Ma

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

Glazed Interior Shows a Common Orange/Brown Color

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

The real focus of this report is to discuss early black earthenware made in Buckley, England - that appears in the Faneuil Hall collection. All of these examples date before 1742. These shards do appear like American products, but the clay color is darker than most domestic earthenware. These products are also more durable than American red earthenware. The Buckley shards appear to have been fired at higher temperatures than traditional red earthenware, which makes a product comparable to stoneware. It's a tougher product that can withstand more abuse.

Buckley, England Black Glazed Earthenware

Ca. 1720-1740

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

 Buckley, England Black Glazed Earthenware

Ca. 1720-1740

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

Buckley, England Black Glazed Earthenware

Ca. 1720-1740

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

 Buckley, England Black Glazed Earthenware

Ca. 1720-1740

Found at Faneuil Hall Archaeological District

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

According to The Art of the English Potter by L.M. Solon, "At the present time, indeed, at Buckley, a few miles from Chester, they have not discontinued the practice of the oldest style, and are turning out slip pieces which, with a little scratching and chipping, might be mistaken for the work of two hundred years ago. Tygs, of course, they are no longer, but the identical shapes now due duty of flower pots." (The Art of the English Pottery, Solon, 1886)

A tyg is an English mug  that contains multiple handles. An actual eighteenth century Buckley-made tyg can be seen as part of the Boston Archaeology Collection. It probably dates from the early eighteenth century. While this example does not show a black glaze - it is a good example of earthenware products made in Buckley.

 18th Century Buckley, England Earthenware Tyg

Probably Ca. 1700-1750

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Dept. - West Roxbury, Ma

Eighteenth century Buckley black glazes and forms appear to have been copied by American potters throughout the colonies. I personally know of forms that may indicate imitation made in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Essex County Massachusetts and Charlestown, Massachusetts - but it's my thought these imitations continued throughout the colonies that may have included Long Island (NY) and Philadelphia potters. 

Similar glaze techniques were also used in South Wales, Londsdale and Yorkshire - that eventually influenced American red earthenware potters. Examples of the styles I am referring to can be seen in the book, County Pottery: Traditional Earthenware of Britain.

I have written a second report about products that may have been influence by Buckley, England potters - or at the least, English earthenware products. It's available as the second February 1st report on this website - or there is a link in the previous sentence.