Face Jugs by Su N.: 2013

Icehouse Pottery Studio Hosts 6th Annual Holiday Show and Sale

3 Paterson Hamburg Turnpike, Riverdale, NJ

Saturday, December 7 from 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, December 8 from 11 am to 5 pm.

The Icehouse Pottery Studio will host its 6th Annual Holiday Show and Sale of functional and sculptural ceramics at their studio. The show will showcase locally made pottery by 15 potters and ceramic artists, the sale will offer a chance to meet the makers.

This increasingly popular event draws hundreds of customers from northeast New Jersey and the nearby New York areas. Available for sale will be a fabulous selection of vases, wall pieces, pitchers, teapots, platters, casseroles, raku and pit-fired vessels in varying colors and styles, and one-of-a-kind sculptures and decorative objects of art.

The show is the perfect place to find a unique handmade holiday gift or a special item or present for any occasion.

Directions:
The show is easily accessible from Route 287; take exit 53, turn right and travel 0.6 miles. From Route 23, take Newark Pompton Turnpike, turn right at the light and go 0.4 miles. Icehouse Studio is the red brick building on the right, just past the railroad track.

Parking and admission:

Parking and Entrance in the rear. Parking and admission is free, but we will have a box available for any donation of nonperishable food items to Center for Food Action, a wonderful food pantry serving our neighbors in need.

Learn more about Icehouse Pottery at www.IcehousePottery.org.

There will be a few face jugs there - Salt and Pepper Shakers, Face bells, soap pumps, and a full size face jug or two! Hope to see you there!

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.

Next Show is less than a week away!

Face Jugs are now Face Shot Glasses

Big mouth jar

Face Jugs, Ugly Jugs, FUN JUGS!

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Rogue's Gallery

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