Description:
Redware teapot covered with a brownish-black metallic lusterous lead glaze made by Thomas Crafts (1781-1861). The Embargo Act of 1807-09 and War of 1812 encouraged American manufacturers to produce wares similar to those imported from other countries. Enterprising craftsmen such as Thomas Crafts began to make black-glazed redware teapots, a dark lustrous glaze imitating English blackware, a ceramic popular in England from the mid 18th to the early 19th century in 1822. His production soon enjoyed impressive sales of $4000 annually with his teapots shipped to New York City and Philadelphia. Sanford S. Perry was the first Whately potter to produce these black-glazed redware teapots (one inscribed 1817 is in the Whately Historical Society), but he left Whately about 1821, possibly after selling his glaze formulae to Crafts, and was in Troy, NY, about 1823 where he worked in earthenware and stoneware. HD also has another teapot (HD 1999.48) and a redware jug (HD 1999.42) attributed to Crafts. The teapot has a bulbous, round body with a straight-sided collar, curved sides, and molded edge base; an attached three-ribbed strap handle; and a plain S-curved spout, with 7 punched holes in the body leading to the spout. The domed lid has a circular, button-style finial.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2117 |
