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This vibrant glazed nineteenth century redware jug is likely from an unknown potter working in the Western New York region. The jug is impressed with what is believed to be the potter’s initials “DE.” During the first half of the nineteenth century, Western New York was home to a thriving and extensive redware production industry. Spurred by the influx of settlers migrating westward after the American Revolution, local potters utilized the region’s rich clay deposits to supply early pioneer homes with essential utilitarian vessels. Many of these operations clustered along “The Turnpike” (modern-day Route 20) and the Genesee Valley, serving local residents and travelers. The wares produced in Western New York were distinguished by their refined proportions and spectacular, vibrant glazes—frequently featuring bold abstract splotches and streaks of black, green, brown, and yellow colored slip. Even early figures like Nathaniel Rochester, the founder of the city of Rochester, hosted an active redware operation on his homestead in the early 1800s.
Several highly influential individual potters and family operations anchored this regional movement. In Ontario County, Alvin Wilcox of West Bloomfield established one of the most prolific and celebrated potteries in the area around 1825. The Wilcox operation manufactured everything from food molds to specialized candle molds. Further west in Genesee County, the Charles Gleason pottery in Morganville operated a major kiln starting in 1829, stamping jugs, colanders, and crocks with the distinct “C. Gleason” mark. By the 1850s, the rise of salt-glazed stoneware production along the booming Erie Canal created fierce competition, as consumers increasingly favored stronger, non-porous containers. In response, many Western New York redware potters pivoted to manufacturing agricultural drain tiles to survive, keeping their historic kilns burning through the late nineteenth century.
Item Date: Circa 1830-1860
Measurement: Height: 10.75"
Material: Redware
Item Condition: Excellent
Literature: See Justin W. Thomas’ book, America’s Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York.
Price: $2,250
SKU 1490-67
For More Information, Please Contact David Hillier at 978-597-8084 or email drh@aaawt.com.