Antique 19th Century Redware Folk Pottery Confit Pot; Lead Glazed, Mottled

Here's a well-preserved, antique, redware confit pot that dates from the mid-19th Century. It has a bulbous shape along with two handles and is in very good condition! Colored with oxides and lead glazed, it's a blend of green and mustard yellow with mottling inside and out. Both sides have whimsical slip decorations. About three quarters of the exterior is glazed. The lower portion of this pot and the underside are not glazed. Those parts have a dry, terracotta type surface with a nice, grungy patina that shows lots of age. These unglazed portions also have traces of calcium deposits from moisture where it had been stored for decades.

Thick-walled and heavier than it looks, this is a rugged piece of early pottery that served utilitarian purposes around the household back in its day. It wasn't considered anything special then but surviving pots like this now are scarce pieces of folk pottery. What makes this pot particularly rare are its handles that are still intact after the passage of more than a century and half! The inside of the opening rim has a chunk missing; very old damage that likely resulted from the heavy use this pot saw. The inside has some glaze worn off at the bottom and shallow surface chips from past use. There is also a shallow chip near the slip decoration on one side of the exterior. There are no cracks or damage that threatens its integrity. Surviving examples of 19th Century redware typically do have some flaws which help authenticate them. This piece has no repairs.

As for dimensions, this piece stands 9 inches tall and is about 11 inches at its widest point. The opening measures 7 3/4 inches in diameter while the bottom is 5 1/2 inches across. It's a rare find we made while buying antiques out an old country home. You won't be disappointed in this!