Franklin Lafayette ("Fate") Becham, Double-Handled Whiskey Jug, before 1918, alkaline glaze stoneware, 17 5⁄8 x 13 1⁄8 in. (44.8 x 33.3 cm.) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.29
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Double-Handled Whiskey Jug
- Date
- before 1918
- Location
- Dimensions
- 17 5⁄8 x 13 1⁄8 in. (44.8 x 33.3 cm.) diam.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- alkaline glaze stoneware
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 1986.65.29
Artwork Description
The initials "FLB" on the handle of this jug mark this as the work of Fate Becham, although the whole family used the same beehive shape and alkaline glaze in their work. He made the "tobacco spit" or "rock" glaze by adding pieces of iron-bearing materials to a lime mixture. In the kiln, the glaze melted and ran down the pot to create the mottled appearance (Lynda Hartigan, Made with Passion, 1990).