Original Lid Antique Stoneware Jar

This great stoneware jar is in wonderful condition! Hand made by an unknown potter whose finger marks are visible inside the jar, it is covered inside and out with dark brown Albany slip.
The finish is glossy and there are drips of the dark brown glaze, with the lower half of the jar darker than the upper half (some of this is a bit difficult to photograph).

There is a groove encircling the jar, just below the neck, that is decorative but also served a purpose to preserve the contents. One method was to use a heavy thread or twine to hang the jar in a warm room or by the fireplace, which would dry the fruits and vegetables to prevent them from molding, a primitive form of modern dehydration. Another method used "egg paper": layers of parchment paper dipped in egg whites and then tied over the mouth of the jar. This apparently dried into a very tight seal.

The rare original lid that has survived with this jar would have protected the food after the jar was opened or when the drying process was complete. The lid has the Albany slip glaze and a raised, flat-top knob. The dry underside has pencil doodles that include leaves and a partial name. The lid fits the jar very well.

There are no cracks or even hairlines in the jar. There is one triangle-shaped chip on one side, near the base, and two glaze misses, a circular one on another side and one at the base that appears in our photo with the green and white table runner (that's not a chip). No damage to the bottom edge of the jar, which is unusual. On the rim of the mouth, there are two old chips. The edges of the lid have lots of minute chips, but again, no other damage.

The jar is 7 1/4 inches tall, has a 5 1/4 inch diameter base and measures about 5 1/2 inches across at the shoulder with a 19 inch circumference. It weighs a solid 4 pounds and displays handsomely, a very decorative addition to your stoneware collection and your home.

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