Bird jug

ManufacturedCornwall, Ontario, Canada

Datec.1850-1875

MediumStoneware

Dimensions48 x 30 cm

MarkingsStamped with maker's mark

DescriptionFrom the sales record: Orrin Ballard established the first stoneware pottery in Cornwall Canada West in 1864. He ran the pottery for just three years before selling it. Bird crocks from the Cornwall Pottery are rare and beautiful. See Newland's Early Ontario Potters plate 4.2 for an example. This large 5 gal jug has the same rare design. The deocration appears brown, rather than the usual blue. This is one of only a handful of Canadian stoneware crocks I have seen with a brown decoration. I suspect this was intended to be a cobalt blue, but something bout the composition of the glaze or the firing resulted in it turning brown. The decoration is well rendered and loos great on this large size jug. The condition is chanllenging to describe. This is a big jug (over 19" tall) and it would certainly have been one of the biggest pieces in the kiln. I suspect the firing was overheated. The saltglaze is not evenly distributed on the piece. ARound the shoulder, the glaze appears to have fried leaving a pebbly texture. Lower on the body the saltglaze is normal. Up from the base edge are four short (2-3 inch) pressure cracks, that probably resulted from the sheer weight of the crock as it was fired. Thes are clearly in-manufacturying. There is a heavy chp off the front of the lip and several smaller chips in teh round. There are a number of potstones and other firing imperfections. There is a long scratch down the right side of the decoration. The body of the crock appears dark at least in part because of stain leeching through the clay. This crock still has a lovely sweet smell of molasses. This description makes the condition sound poor, the but pieces looks great. Let the pics be your guide. I have never seen a Ballard bird crock in better condition than this one. Shipping is not available on this item.

Credit LineThe Raphael Yu Collection

Object numberT10.6.369

Classifications

North American

Sub-classification

Canadian

Collections

Status

Not on view