Face Jugs by Su N.: 2010

Day one of the Mountainside Show, November 2010

Come on out to Day two - November 14, 2010, Noon to 5pm - it's been a great show - we can talk about any of the family - take a look through the face jug shots - is there someone you'd like to meet?

Show Time! Mountainside, NJ

It's that time of year again:
The Potters' Guild of NJ Mountainside Show

Saturday and Sunday, November 13 and 14, 2010
Saturday: 11 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: Noon - 5 PM

Community Presbyterian Church
1459 Deer Path
Mountainside, NJ 07092

Looking forward to meeting you there!

Football Fan

Adopted by Cinthia. Shes promisd to let me know when he starts to talk to her and reveals his real name!

Busy preparing....

Upcoming shows!

Potters Guild Spring Show4/17 11-5pm, 4/18 12-5pm Community Presbytarian Church1459 Deer PathMountainside, NJ 07902

Hoboken Spring 2010 Art & Music Festival 5/2 11-6pmWashington Stbet Observatory &7th St!

Update on Pottery by SuN.

I know that based on the entries here it looks like I'm not doing much, but I'm getting back into throwing after a long love affair with the gnomes and will have more pictures for this soon!

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.

Day one of the Mountainside Show, November 2010

Show Time! Mountainside, NJ

Football Fan

Busy preparing....

Update on Pottery by SuN.

Face Jugs, Ugly Jugs, FUN JUGS!

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Rogue's Gallery

Want to see how these are made?

Pottery Sites

Series B

Series A