I have been interested in Southern face jugs for many years but could never afford them. . .Then I ran across this beauty (?) that was in my price range. . .To tell the truth, the owner probably hated it and didn't know its value. . .but I was more than happy to bring it home. . .
So. . .now I have one. . .just one. . .
"Though there are many gaps in historical data regarding the making, use and meaning of the face vessel pottery, there is no doubt that the vessels were original, functional artistic expressions of the African slave culture of the time. This all adds to the mystery of possible deeper meaning of the Face Vessels in the slave culture. Few of the skilled potters who made Face Vessels have been identified by name and their inspiration for making face vessels is really unknown. Researchers speculate that the vessels may have had religious or burial significance, or that they reflect the complex responses of people attempting to live and maintain their personal identities under cruel and often difficult conditions. Face Vessels have been found along the routes of the Underground Railroad and on gravesites, both indicating how highly they were valued and how closely connected they were with the enslaved African American’s own culture.
The making of southern face jugs is a ceramic tradition that has been dated back to the 1840's. This pottery tradition continues to be of significant interest for many contemporary potters living in the South. Sometimes known as "ugly or grotesque jugs" face jugs were thought to have begun in Edgefield county South Carolina by African slaves who worked on the plantations as potters. These potters would work on the face jugs after the work of making functional pottery such as churns and storage jars was finished for the day. Many historians believe there may have been a spiritual connection to the face jug for these potters.
Many of the early pieces were small in scale, from 4 to 4 and a half inches. They were thrown on the wheel in the harvest jug style where there is an overhead strap handle on the body of the pot off set with one or more spouts. Teeth and eyes were made from white kaolin clay to contrast the darker color of the stoneware clay. These early pieces were glazed with alkaline glazes and fired in large wood burning kilns along with the potter’s functional ware.
In the early part of the 19th century the form was adopted by white potters. This can be attributed to the downturn in profit for the white potters from the everyday items such as churns and storage jars. This was probably due to the major influx of cheaper mass produced ware being imported from the northern factories. To avoid going out of business the potters started making unique items such as miniatures and face jugs. These items helped to keep the potters from closing down since they appealed to the tourist trade.
There has been a continuum in the interest of face jugs throughout the 20th century primarily centered on two prominent potters, Burlon Craig and Lanier Meaders. However it wasn't until the 1970's when there was an upscale interest in American Folk lore by university academics that the work of Craig and Meaders were exposed to a larger American audience. The popularity of these two potters surged and the face jug as an art form along with interest in its history experienced a renaissance." from www.newton.k12.in.us
Wishing You a Happy Halloween. . .From Our Spooky Heil House. . .
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