South Amesbury (Merrimacport), Massachusetts
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This wonderfully formed and glazed redware handled pot is an excellent example of the utilitarian wares produced during the early nineteenth century in South Amesbury (now Merrimacport), Massachusetts. It was here along the banks of the Merrimack River that master potter William Pecker and his nephew, James Chase, formed a multi-generational family dynasty that dominated regional ceramic production from the late eighteenth through the mid-nineteenth century. The village’s riverside tradition began around 1791 when Pecker established a kiln previously operated by Benjamin Bodge, a potter from Charlestown, Massachusetts. Pecker is celebrated today for his sophisticated eye for form and accomplished glazes—a prolific career that came to a sudden, tragic end in 1820 when a kiln collapsed and crushed him. Following Pecker’s death, the local industry was seamlessly carried forward by his nephew and former apprentice, Deacon James Chase. Inheriting his uncle’s glaze recipes and refined techniques, Chase achieved great commercial success producing a variety of redware forms. Because Chase’s work so closely mirrors the high-quality craftsmanship of his mentor, many surviving pieces are highly difficult to differentiate today, leaving the exact origins of some specific forms beautifully ambiguous.
Item Date: Circa 1800 - 1840
Measurement: Height: 7"
Material: Redware
Item Condition: Excellent
Literature: See Justin W. Thomas’ book, South Amesbury’s Red Earthenware & Stoneware: The 1791-1820 William Pecker Pottery.
Price: $1,400
SKU 1490-95
For More Information, Please Contact David Hillier at 978-597-8084 or email drh@aaawt.com.