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Great American stoneware advertising jug. Hand incised in cursive, “U.S. Treasury/ Mucilage/ Wm. A. Davies/ Boston.” Also refered to as a “scratch” jug because of the way the writing was scratched through the glaze before the jug was fired. Brown Albany slip glaze. Applied handle and tooled mouth. Industrial sized master jug used for filling smaller mucilage (glue) jars. A nice piece of 19th century Americana.

Date:  1860-1880s

 

Size:  9 1/2″ tall. 8 3/4″ diameter.

 

Condition: Overall very nice.  Few minor rim flakes. Old line at base of handle. Few in-making glaze imperfections.

A few thoughts on stoneware: Stoneware was originally designed as utilitarian objects. Typically, these pieces were put into service for many years. As such, stoneware will generally show signs of heavy wear and usage. Some chips and cracks are usually in evidence, and serve as reminders that stoneware was first and foremost meant to be functional. These factors should be taken into account when evaluating a piece.

Price: $325

Shipping: $35

Categories: Advertising, Americana, Ceramics, Country, Primitives, Stoneware