Face Jugs by Su N.

The Boss

Nothing gets by the eagle-eyed Boss;
Anything missing, he knows his loss.
But he’s smart and fair so he’s respected;
Any words against him are rejected.

The boss is 4.5 inches tall.

He was adopted by Darlene!

Billy

An apple on the head of Billy,
As an arrow target seems silly.
A “William” shot such an arrow –
Hit he the apple? Or the fellow?

Billy is 5.5 inches tall. When he puts on his hat with its apple target and wormy friend (what exactly will happen to the poor worm if the arrow flies true?) he's 9.5 inches tall.

Billy was adopted by Joanne and Brittany at the 2011 Mountainside Spring show!

Where am I?

He looks rather surprised that all 4.25 inches of him have arrived here, doesn't he?

Adopted at the Beltane Fastival by Mimi.

He must be a buddy to Honey, but he hasn't talked to me - I'll call him Edward after a new friend until he's comfortable enough to share - apparently he is far less outgoing, perhaps more cautious, than his friend Honey.

All I know is that he's 4.25 inches tall - but then the males of the species are generally a little smaller - right?Edward is not availablefor adoption.

Honey

Honey goes fishing whenever she can;
Outfished by not any fisher-man.
Water salty and not fresh in streams,
Is where she sets hooks in all her dreams.

Honey is 4,5 inches to the top of her handle.

Honey was adopted by April - a dedicated and kind fisherwoman!

Spencer

Spencer zookeeper loves all creatures;
Sharp teeth, long claws, are all great features.
The animals like Spencer a lot.
So biting him? No sir, they will not!

Spencer is 5.25 inches tall until he puts on his helmet and reaches 7.25 inches.

Michael

Michael makes faces to ruin each shot;
So many taken, ruins the lot.
Crossed his eyes and his tongue sticking out;
The picture is wasted, there is no doubt.

Julie

Little Miss Julie will not wear pants,
But she wears big boots to stomp on ants.
She may be cute in her curls and bow,
But she has a mean streak, this we know!

Miss Julie is 6.25 inches tall and wearing her hat reaches 8 inches.

Thomas

Thomas is a crotchety old man
Who just wants some sleep – noises he’ll ban.
But his blue ear plugs? He’ll need more.
He’s trying to sleep over his wife’s snore!

Thomas is 6.25 inches tall.

Teresa

Teresa is a workout junkie;
Loves to watch the muscle boys hunky.
The truth is she’ll forget all those boys,
When the gym buys all those new weight toys.

Teresa is 5.25 inches tall and her curls put her up to 7.25 inches.

Shazam

This “tail” is about Shazam’s bunny.
Shazam’s not good and it’s not funny.
The tricks that fail are blamed on the hare,
Who must escape – that blame’s not fair!

Shazam is 8.5 inches to the top of hit hat - the Bunny tops him off to 10 inches.

Rose - Miss Amelia's Baby Sister!

Amelia’s cute little sister Rose:
Plays just as hard, scrapes her knees and nose.
But the bow and flower in her hair
Will not keep her from the mud out there!

Adopted by Phyllis!

Rose's new Mom decided Rose should have a new hat for spring and Rose insisted on showing off here:

Bubbles

Bubbles swims happily round and round;
Has never been on dry solid ground.
She has always been in her fishy tank,
Except when to clean she gets a yank.

Adopted for Stacy - what fisherwoman wouldn't love this face?

The Choir

We love to sing, yes it is divine!
You sing in your key and I’ll in mine.
But that one can’t hold a key at all;
Oh leave him alone, he’s having a ball!

Here are Doe (bottom left), Ray (bottom right) and Mia (top) - the kids in the choir!

The Choir was adopted in December 2012 at the Sauce for the Goose Show at Princeton Arts Council.

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.

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.