Description:
This thrown harvest jug is made of earthenware covered in white slip, and then decorated with scratch or sgriffito decoration. The piece is a reproduction of a North Devon sgraffito harvest jug in the Colonial Williamsburg collection, made by Joseph Hollamore, Barnstaple, Devon, England, 1764. A large harvest jug with red body, covered with a light ground slip, cut out to form the design, and a yellow lead glaze; part of the exterior base and the interior below the neck left unglazed. The rim of the jug is encircled by a collar inscribed "Made at Samuel Hollamore's Barnstaple 1764," and containing a projecting lip spout. The long neck is incised with geometric and scroll decoration and contains a heavy strap handle terminating in a coil. The large, bulbous body is inscribed around the shoulder "Now I am Com for to Suply the Harvis men when they are Dray. When they Do Labour heard and Sweat. Good League is better farr then Meat. I by My Master heare am Sent to make You merrey is My Intent." A large incised sun burst with a face is en circled by the inscription "I Like bright Phebeous Do apeare. When my Bleys full with good Strong Beer." Flanking the sun burst are large flowers and birds, the ones to the left being tulips. Beneath the handle within a heart with scalloped edge is the inscription "My Joley hearts Com Drink About And Never Start till all is Out," "Made for Mrs. Hugs by Jos. Hollamore Barnstaple June ye 27, 1764."
Label Text:
Michelle Erickson (b. 1960) is an independent ceramic artist and scholar, internationally recognized for her mastery of colonial-era ceramic techniques. Her pieces are in the collections of major museums in America and Britain, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, Seattle Art Museum, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery at Stoke on Trent, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Erickson’s body of scholarship concerning the rediscovery of 17th and 18th century ceramics techniques has been documented in many publications, most notably several volumes of the annual journal Ceramics in America. In 2007, she was commissioned to design and create the official gift to be given to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during her historic visit to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Erickson’s work is currently represented in Historic Deerfield’s collection with a delftware dish made for Bill Guthman [HD 2021.3.2] and a reproduction posset pot [not accessioned] based on an example in Deerfield's collection. Deerfield collaborated with Erickson to produce a video of the making of this posset pot for the Delftware exhibition in 2001. Although this object is not one of her contemporary “statement” pieces – but a conscious reproduction. She ultimately published her research into the techniques and technology of decorated English slipwares in the article “Dots, Dashes, and Squiggles: Early English Slipware Technology,” Ceramics in America, 2001.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2023.17.4 |
