Its a crock!

I think its a sample where a young child (or neophite) was permitted to apply a doodle before it was fired. The ears indicate a bit of amatuer, A pro would have made sure these lifting ears were sturdy and without sharp edges.

The size of the pot indicates it could have been used for making sauerkraut or pickles. However, picking jars were usually straight sided with a large flat bottoms.

jemdandy, thank you--doodle is as good as any idea I've had! Yes, one would assume that an experienced potter would know that sharp, thin handles would inevitably chip.

When you mentioned straight-sided pickling crocks, I checked several large ones that I've owned for many years. I'd never noticed before, but the largest one has the same salt-glaze color, also an incised mark (12, but no cobalt deco), and sharp, squared off ears. However, the ears are attached differently, with the bottom sides being left more 'intact', for lack of a better word--not smoothed into the body of the vessel, or rounded, as in my above example. Edited to add: The ears were shaped/attached a little differently on each of the four crocks that I checked.

I wonder if the thin ears are the mark of a particular potter-- maybe an apprentice, still learning the trade. My mother is a bargain hunter, so didn't pay much for the piece. Even if it's a practice piece, I still love it!

This post was edited by mama_goose on Mon, May 20, 13 at 19:29

I found an older pic of the pickle crock, which I cropped for a better view. The large crock has an incised line, at the level of the ears, where the ovoid crock has a slightly raised line:

Mamma_goose:

The big cylindrical crock you posted is very much like the ones our farming community used for pickling and making sauerkraut. The numer "12" on its side indicates it capacity. Its probably 12 quarts or just plain size 12; I don't think you crock is large enough for 12 gallons, but I could be mistaken.

Crocks like yours were made by the thousands. Yours was likely made 1890-1940. Not all potters were great artists. The cobalt was an attempt at decoration. I've seen lots worse! lol :) Crocks with examples of great artists sell for $5,000-$50,000.

Here's a few very nice examples. Note the handles on the jars. The style of tight to the body handle was common from the late 1700's to the mid-1850s and made primarily in the east.

/tricia

This post was edited by triciae on Tue, May 21, 13 at 11:42

jemdandy, I recall my grandmother making kraut and pickles in crocks--unfortunately none of mine were inherited from her. She would take a lid from a smaller crock, so that it fit inside the pickle crock, then weigh it down with a clean stone or brick, wrapped in cloth, to keep the cabbage or cukes below the level of the brine.

Thanks, triciae, I was hoping that I had a treasure! :[ If you left a link, it didn't make the jump, but I'd love to see more pics.

I googled 'sharp eared crocks' hoping to find info on the potter, and found this informative site. Scroll down for American stoneware. I think I might have a cream pot:

"The stoneware cream pot ... appears throughout the eastern seaboard down through the Carolinas and west to Indiana. This vessel, illustrated here, has a high shoulder and wide mouth, where the shoulder slopes in slightly to a flat, shaped rim. There are two semi-cicular(sic) lug handles on the shoulder. The interior of this vessel was glazed with Albany slip, which was more common in the North. They were made in sizes from one to five gallons. They were often used to separate milk from cream and to store cream. Many of the vessels had an incised line at the level of the handles."

Can we not link to another website anymore????

I have some excellent examples of American stoneware for you to see but GW won't let me link. Why?

/tricia

I don't know--for a while I've had certain links show in preview, then pouf! The page can't be found. I've had pages bookmarked, then tried to post links, and the same thing happens, even though I can access the page via my bookmark. Also, some pics from other sites will show in preview, then not show up. In the case of the pics, maybe there are blocks in place to keep pirates such as I from copying and posting others' work without permission. :P

Yeah, mama_goose, that's what is happening to me. Everything looks fine on the preview but no link ever gets posted. I've had the same thing happen with pixs. :(

/tricia