Vase

1809

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 704

These slip-decorated redware vases, decorated with playfully naïve birds and hearts, are inscribed with the names George Purinton and Debby Purinton. George Purinton was a member of the Purinton family, important Quaker potters in Somerset, Massachusetts. These vases were likely made for George and Deborah by a member of the Purinton family on the occasion of their marriage in January 1809. The Purinton Pottery is credited with initiating the manufacture of redware in Somerset, an industry that would eventually lend its name to an area of the town: Pottersville. Clark Purinton began the pottery after moving to the area in 1753 and his sons, including George, continued the family business. These are unique examples of early redware due to their whimsical and personalized decoration, their monumental size, and their documented attribution to a specific family of potters.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Vase
Manufacturer: Purinton Pottery (ca. 1753–1880)
Date: 1809
Geography: Made in Somerset, Massachusetts, United States
Culture: American
Medium: Red earthenware, wheel thrown with white slip decoration of birds and hearts; lead glaze
Dimensions: 13 in. (33 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Robert A. Ellison Jr., 2021
Object Number: 2022.404.5.2
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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