Recent Pottery Discoveries

Pottery-sample1 Pottery Sample2 Pottery_sample3 Pottery_sample4 Pottery_sample5 Pottery_sample6 Pottery_sample7 Pottery_sample8 Pottery_sample9

Viewers are invited to send Shenandoah Pottery items that have not been published to be shown on this site. Any feed back directed toward an item will be shared with the contributor. Please mail or email a photo(s) and include any of the item's history that you may have.

Parasol stand Parasol stand - signature

13"h. dated. Private collection

This parasol stand is singular among Anthony Bacher products. . The doubled form of signature in photo #2 is also singularly found on Bacher products. This earthenware stand is manganese and lead oxide glazed. Parasols would have been placed within, with handles exhibited. This allowed the parasol--not used for rain protection--to exhibit its fine decoration.

dish made 
in Hagerstown, MD.

11 1/4"w. ca. 1815, Private collection.

This new discovery is extremely important. It is in form a deep dish made in Hagerstown, MD. It is attributed to Henry Adam ( Next to last photo on left side bar, on most pages, exhibits another deep dish attributed to Henry Adam.) This singular slip decorated deep dish is of earthenware (redware).

The early sea-green slip glaze has added tin oxide. The background is of Manganes dioxide stain

.

washbowl and pitcher

Pitcher 11 1/2"h, bowl 12 1/2"w. ca. 1892 Private collection

The importance of this washbowl and pitcher lies within the fact that it is stamped by the maker. There are only two such Eberly products, of those known, that exhibit the makers stamp. The stamp, of 1892, is J. EBERLY & CO./ STRASBURG, VA. See Featured Pottery Series.

15"h. ca.1825, Private collection

This new discovery is a 6 gallon storage jar. It is attributed to the Zigler pottery of Timberville, Rockingham County, Virginia. Andrew Coffman who is believed to have apprenticed with Jacob and Christian Adam, brothers of Henry Adam, in New Market, Virginia, is supposedly the maker. The survival of such Zigler stoneware items are quite uncommon. Notice the cobalt eight-pointed star decoration. This is a degradation of the eight pointed star decoration of the Henry Adam deep dish shown above. The eight-pointed star as used by these potters of German descent was a symbol for good luck. 

 

   

 

 

8 1/2"h. Dated: April(e)  th 28 1832, Private Collector

This is the only Zigler pottery artifact known to have been signed; here: "Jacob Zigler / April(e) th 28 1832"  Jacob Zigler is unknown as a Shenandoah Valley potter. Jacob was the superintendent of the Zigler works which was owned by his father John Zigler. The eight point star is a common symbol used at the Timberville, Virginia, Zigler Pottery.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Front View                                                 Left side View

 

 

 

          Front close-up                                              Right side View

                                                              Back View

 

 

New Information:

This newly discoverd water cooler marked BELL, has changed the information cited in "The Pottery of the Shenandoah Valley Region," of the time era that the mark was employed. Research during the writing of the book could find no information of the time of use. A few collectors and others stated that the so marked ware had been a renaissance  of early Bell production by the last of the Bell potters; Ashby Bell. One collecter / dealer mentioned that he had seen two jars marked with this particular mark that were dated in the latter 1890s. This information was unwisely entered into the book, while also stating the believed period of use.

One very helpful clue was the center molded sprigg on the front surface of the newly found water cooler. This same molded eagle occurs on the pot stand shown above. The bottom of the stand also includes Solomon Bell in script. The eagle on the cooler and on the stand are week impressions.

In 1840, Solomon spent up to a year in Waynesboro,Pennsylvania at brother John's shop making molds to bring back to Winchester, Virginia. There is at least one known pottery mold marked, Solomon Bell / Waynesboro. It appears that Solomon was using his new molds after he came back to Winchester. Most likely the above pieces were made in the early 1840s.

The Winchester Bell Pottery did not start making stoneware until around 1831-32. Since few items of earthenware are marked with the large BELL mark and some existing examples of stoneware are seen with the mark, it was probable the Peter Bell obtained this mark for their new stoneware production. John Bell seems to have done likewise, for his stoneware production when it was begun around 1850; John Bell / Waynesboro, PA.  The large BELL stamp would alow any of the four Bell potters to mark the stoneware items properly.

The pot stand was produced with the molded heads of John Bell's apple vender as feet.

 

 

Inquiries Information History Contact us About us F.A.Q. Featured Series Home Fakes&Reproductions Ongoing research Auctions and Exibitions "));