Unidentified (American), Five-Gallon Home Brew Jar, ca. 1880, glazed stoneware, 16 3⁄4 x 14 x 12 in. (42.5 x 35.7 x 30.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.40
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Five-Gallon Home Brew Jar
- Artist
- Unidentified (American)
- Date
- ca. 1880
- Location
- Dimensions
- 16 3⁄4 x 14 x 12 in. (42.5 x 35.7 x 30.5 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- glazed stoneware
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 1986.65.40
Artwork Description
Until the mid-twentieth century, people used large stoneware pots to store homemade butter, syrups, fruit, and meat. They also fermented and stored alcohol in heavy bell jars that kept the brew airtight and cool. Craftsmen used local clays and handmade glazes to create these pots and rarely applied any decoration. The glazes were made from sand, clay, lime, or wood ash, and often ran down the clay during firing to create a “tobacco spit” effect.
