“Base Ball” jug, shape no. E6

Majolica, earthenware mass-produced using molds and hand painted with brightly colored lead- glazes, was popular in America in the 1870s and ‘80s, a phenomenon that became known as the "majolica craze." Its imaginative forms, elaborately modeled shapes, and brightly painted decoration fulfilled the American middle-class desire for aesthetically minded but affordable ceramics. Following majolica’s origins in the pottery region of Staffordshire and the British domination of the market, American manufacturers, often immigrants from England, began to produce their own wares and supply local demand.




Griffen, Smith & Hill of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, was one of the most prolific and successful American manufacturers of majolica. Their line of majolica, "Etruscan Majolica," was marked by brilliant pastel colors and crisp modeling. This jug demonstrates the direct influence of British majolica design on American production, and in this case, a clever adaptation. The "Base Ball" jug is a near copy of the ‘Athletic’ jug produced by Wedgwood and Sons in 1879, which was Americanized by changing cricket sportsmen to baseball players.