Face Jugs by Su N.: March 2008

Buster

Buster had long soft cascading curls.
For years he was mistaken for girls.
So off he went to the barber shop,
He loves his crew cut – so does his Pop!

Adopted by Bucky and Barbara

Laura Lou

The bun’s too tight; it makes her grumpy;
No flowing hair and she looks frumpy.
Beneath that severe and white updo,
Is a fun loving sweet Laura Lou.

Laura Lou will not be available for adoption - she surprised me by cracking quite severely in the final firing. That may explain her expression - she may be as surprised by the event as was I. - SuN.

The Scent's Source

What is that smell; it’s so foul!
I can not stand it: I want to howl!
Why’s HE smiling; what is so funny?
That smell’s from him – I’d bet money!

Crackle

Looking for trouble is our Crackle,
Acts of mischief are what he’ll tackle.

Crackle guards my novelty pencils at work - since he's thus engaged, he's not available for adoption.

Smudge

Smudge’s intent is not quite fickle
Always makes mischief for a tickle.

Adopted by Jason at the Hermitage!

Crystal

Don’t ever cross our “friendly” Crystal –
Don’t be unkind, unfair that’s final.
Sure she’ll show her teeth and nicely smile –
But her eyes bite like a crocodile.

Gus

Gus is nice, for goodness sake.
But he gets grumpy with a tooth ache.
His horns emerge and temper soar,
With a really bad pain, he’s a terror.

Face Jugs, Ugly Jugs, FUN JUGS!

Most simply put, “Face Jugs” are vessels decorated with faces. Their long history gives insight into our culture and people overcoming the influences set against them.

The Face Jugs in America likely had their start with slaves in the South, perhaps influenced by the ancestry worship in Voodoo from the Caribbean. The slaves adopted them to mark graves; by law the slaves could erect no grave markers, nor were they permitted to read and write, but they could make these jugs after their work hours in the potteries. And the jugs could defy masters as slaves weren’t able; for example, many of the jugs depicted smoking faces, although slaves were denied the habit. As the Christian influence grew, the face jugs grew more ferocious to fend off the devil so their relatives could get to Heaven unchallenged. A broken face jug was an indication that the dearly departed was in battle with the devil over their soul.

North Carolina farmers used pottery to augment their income. When they became bored, they adopted the slave art of face jugs as a release; the potter showed off to a boss, customer or other potters. The fiercer the better: the hooch jugs decorated most often needed to be unique (and scary!) to keep youngsters from getting into the alcohol. After the civil war, tin and glass came into widespread use; the need for pottery declined, affecting the farmer/potter’s income. When Prohibition came and the potters realized that they needed the bootleggers’ payment for their wares, it was explained that as a person became more inebriated, the faces became scarier and uglier, thereby influencing many to stop their drinking. The temperance movement could hardly complain and face jugs once again defied pressure from a dominant force.

Face jug characters glimpse our character; what amuses or is curious about the people and events around us. Each of these jugs comes alive with all their foibles and oddities. And they have that most important feature when we choose those we love: they make us think, but also smile or giggle or laugh. And a little of that each day makes life worth living.

Face Jugs by Su N.

Buster

Laura Lou

The Scent's Source

Crackle

Smudge

Crystal

Gus

Face Jugs, Ugly Jugs, FUN JUGS!

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Series B

Series A