Featured What Can You Tell Me About This Make-Do-and-Mend Pitcher?

I am giving away--for free--a great many things, preparatory to a move in about a year and I would like to describe this pitcher before I post it to the giveaway site so it doesn't give the perception that it is just a broken piece of junk. Well, maybe it is just a broken piece of junk, but I was fascinated by the body of the pitcher, the repairs to the handle, the lid, etc. The pitcher is 8.5" high. I think the dealer from whom I bought it got it in England, but that is only a very vague memory. Is anyone here familiar with Dudson and the country of origin? Any information about whether the pitcher had a particular purpose? Thank you!

 

LOVIN' THAT PITCHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sort of looks like a cozy sweater with that pattern on it!!! SO sorry for the crack in it aside from the handle! BUMMER!!! EVEN if it just sits on a shelf, I think it's GORGEOUS!!!!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudson

My guess is it's older than dirt. The company was founded 220 years ago. Someone who knows pottery will know the score.

 

I really appreciate your description help and your enthusiasm for the piece. I don't see any cracks in it, though. Where do you see it?

EDITED TO ADD: I honestly cannot see a crack on the pitcher, so I looked at the photos again and now I see what you saw. The crack seems to be very superficial and I never saw it in all the years I owned it, but I am glad you found that and I will add it to my description. As I said, I am just giving it away, but I like to be thorough with the photos and description. Thank you!

 

Well made by Dudson, which is in England as you thought, it's a relief molded stoneware jug (or moulded if you're in England) about mid 19th C I believe. Love that someone fixed it

 

I'd say stoneware too not creamware and put it about 1860-ish like @say_it_slowly said above

 

salt glaze
https://www.google.ch/search?q=duds..._uAhUY-4UKHfD8DpcQBXoECAEQLA&biw=1171&bih=535

 

That's exactly what I thought when I saw it.

 

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments, which I will use for the post. I immediately thought it was stoneware, then gave it to my husband, to ask what he-who-knows-nothing-whatsoever-about-this-sort-of-thing thought and he said it felt light to him. I weighed it and it is:

1.33 lbs
601 grams
.603 kg
21.25 oz

Sooooo...probably stoneware, correct?

Thanks for being here!

 

I missed this. I think its 1830s/40s ish and charming, I love repairs like that. Salt glaze stoneware by the look of it. People do collect repaired pieces.

 

Here is some info with the accompanying photos from Henrywood's An Illustrated Guide to British Jugs.

 

And a couple links, one to a previous thread here about repaired pieces and one to a blog with lots of repaired pieces.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/interesting-repairs-clever-fixes-and-repurposing.2548/

http://blog.andrewbaseman.com/

 

WOW! Thank you for that information! This is all making it much harder to part with.

 

Offered for giveaway here? By golly, toss my name in the hat!

 

Almost wonder if it wasn't from a knitted pattern. Here is another pattern by Dudson known as Argyle.

https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/des...?item_id=193844&cat_id=0&type_id=0&shape_id=1

This design is known from surviving examples as 'Argyle' pattern. It is typical of a range of stoneware moulded jug designs produced by James Dudson in the second half of the 19th century.

 

Thank you so much MOS. I am giving everything away locally, though, so I don't have to hassle with packing and shipping. I am in Short Hills in northern New Jersey and would be very happy to add your name to the list, if you are able to get here.

 

I’ve discovered the problem with just giving away things... especially beautiful, antique items ... is that it’s hard to find someone who just loves the piece and want to keep it. I’ve done this in the past, but now favor donating to my local Animal Humane Society thrift store instead. (You’d be surprised how many detailed, exigent questions and requests people have BEFORE they get their free item!)

 

DITTO, DITTO, DITTO!!!!!!! WELL, SOMEONE'S going to LOVE it at any rate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!