North Devon Pottery and Its Export to America in the 17th CenturyWatkins, C. Malcolm
History
North Devon Pottery and Its Export to America in the 17th Century
Watkins, C. Malcolm
Pottery -- Atlantic States; Pottery -- England -- Devon
Above this is a heavy ridge
from which springs the flaring collar. Under the spout is a male head,
wearing a wig which is depicted in the same manner as the pomegranates on
the wreath, and a stylized hat and stock-like collar. One suspects that
the man is a clergyman, although his eyes are cast down in a most worldly
manner upon the lady below. He is flanked by a pair of doves; behind each
dove is a vertical tulip with stem and leaves.
[Illustration: FIGURE 25.--Gravel-tempered food-storage jar from Townsend
site, Lewes, Delaware. Height, 12 inches; diameter at base, 9 inches.
(_USNM 60.1188; Smithsonian photo 38821._)]
[Illustration: FIGURE 26.--Gravel-tempered sherds from Plymouth,
Massachusetts: fragment of oven (left) and rim sherd (upper right), from
John Howland house site; and pan-rim sherd from "R. M." site. Plimoth
Plantation, Inc., Plymouth. (_Smithsonian photo 45008-B._)]
Some of the shading is applied with a four-pointed tool, as in many of the
Jamestown pieces, although the tool was smaller. The handle bears the same
characteristics as those on jugs found at Jamestown--the same carelessly
formed ridge, the same spreading, up-thrust reinforcement at the base of
the handle. Unlike the Jamestown jugs, this one is covered completely on
the exterior with slip and glaze. However, since this was a presentation
piece, we could expect more careful treatment than was usual on pots made
for commercial sale.
The jug descended in a Sussex County, Delaware, family--on the distaff
side, curiously. Family recollection traces its ownership back to the
early 19th century, with an unsubstantiated legend that it was used by
British soldiers during the Revolutionary War. We may conclude at least
that the jug is not a recent import and surmise that it was probably
brought to America as an heirloom by an emigrating Devon family, perhaps
before the Revolution. Sussex County has a stable population, mostly of
old-stock English descent. It was settled during the second half of the
17th and first half of the 18th centuries. There is a strong possibility,
therefore, that the jug was introduced into Delaware at a comparatively
early date.
Many other harvest jugs have been similarly cherished in England. An
almost exact counterpart of the Delaware jug, and obviously by the same
potter, is in the Glaisher collection in Cambridge. This jug, dated
"1703/4,"[69] displays such variations as absence of the male head and a
different inscription. Another jug, with a hunting scene but with a
similar neck and collar treatment, seems again to be by the same hand;
it is dated "1703."[70]
[Illustration: FIGURE 27.--Gravel-tempered sherds from Angelica Knoll
site, Calvert County, Maryland. United States National Museum.
(_Smithsonian photo 45008-A._)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account