Description:
Redware teapot covered with a brownish-black metallic lustre attributed to 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 countires. 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 2117) and a redware jug (HD 1999.42) attributed to Crafts. The teapot has a bulbous, round pot body with curved edge to base, straight sided collar, attached three-ribbed handle, and S-curved spout. The domed lid has a circular, button-style finial. There are obvious signs of thrown marks inside the teapot; numerous chips to edge of collar, sides of handle, and rim of spout.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+1999.48 |
