Description:
Grey-bodied, bulbous stoneware jar stamp-impressed "T. CRAFTS & CO, WHATELY / 3", covered with a wash of cobalt blue. Thomas Crafts (1781-1861) was one of the most successful potters in Whately (a town just south of Deerfield). He started making glazed redware pottery in 1802, developing a successful teapot business; he switched to salt-glazed stoneware in 1833 and was active until 1848, turning over the business to his sons. The Thomas Crafts name was not used on Crafts pottery after that date. The jar has a beveled base and sides curving out until approximately one half of the distance up and then curving in towards the slightly flared rim. There is a wide mouth that supported a cover, two C-shaped lug handles, and an incised line around the shoulder below the handles. The salt glaze is thick; there is an area of yellow on the upper side of the front side; and the interior is coated with Albany slip. There are rows of incised lines on the bottom. Several pockets of burned out debris on the surfaveof the jar perhaps from kiln heat or pebble explosions? Cover missing. The holes and pockets reveal that the pug mill (grinding mill for clay) is necessary operation to remove debris from the clay. This example has used clay which is not free from debris.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+78.022 |
