Charlestown, Massachusetts
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This iconic salt-glazed and iron dipped stoneware jug, stamped “BOSTON 1804.,” was made at Frederick Carpenter’s pottery in Charlestown, Massachusetts. A masterpiece in early American craftsmanship, the jug features an elegant, highly ovoid form adorned with a classic Federal-period swag and tassel decoration highlighted in rich cobalt. Adding to its prestige, this exact jug was published in Lura Woodside Watkins’ landmark 1950 book, Early New England Potters and Their Wares.
Carpenter was a foundational figure in early American stoneware, celebrated for pioneering the commercial production of salt-glazed stoneware in the Boston area. After moving from to Massachusetts, he operated his own kiln—historically known as the “Little Pottery”—on the Mystic River in Charlestown from roughly 1801 to 1812. During this early independent period, Carpenter perfected a signature aesthetic heavily influenced by English imports, characterized by a distinctive, reddish-brown iron-oxide slip dipped around the upper rim and footed base.
To appeal to the massive merchant market just across the water, Carpenter initially stamped his highly ovoid jugs and jars with the all-caps “BOSTON” mark, occasionally accompanied by precise year stamps like the coveted 1804 designation. In 1812, he transitioned to the newly established Barnabas Edmands pottery (later Edmands & Co.) in Charlestown, serving as their master potter until his death in 1827. His post-1812 works proudly traded the Boston mark for a crisp, all-caps “CHARLESTOWN” stamp, frequently accompanied by localized incised motifs such as hearts, eagles, and stars, cementing a distinct regional style that influenced New England potting traditions for generations.
Item Date: 1804
Measurement: 14 3/8”
Material: Stoneware
Item Condition: Excellent
Literature: Figure 92 in Lura Woodside Watkins’ landmark 1950 book, Early New England Potters and Their Wares. See Lorraine German’s article, “The Little Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts,” published in the 2021 issue of Ceramics in America.
SKU 1500-23
For More Information, Please Contact David Hillier at 978-597-8084 or email drh@aaawt.com.