While the glaze may have left the surface relatively smooth with a shiny almost glass-like finish, small lumps could still develop as the glaze cured. Salt-glaze, unlike the glazes used in today’s manufacturing processes, could leave little lumps and bumps. Every little imperfection you find, could be an indication that the crock was potentially handcrafted. Also inspect the walls of the crock, check to see if there are any differences in the walls thickness along the same height line. Check for any little humps or indentations that may be present. Look for any signs of flattening that may have occurred, while the crock was being handled prior to being placed in the kiln. Check For Imperfections in Craftsmanshipįeel for any imperfections, handcrafted crocks are highly unlikely to be perfectly symmetrical and smooth. The units of measurement were not just limited to gallons however, as some crocks were also measured in quarts. For example a 3 could mean that the crock holds 3 gallons, and a 5 could be 5 gallons, irrespective of the crock’s overall shape or design. They were used to indicate the size or volume of the crock. The purpose of these numbers was not to identify the crock’s style or model design. Each manufacturer did have a preference of placing or impressing the number, so yes the style of number and implementation can also be used to help further identify a crock. While different manufactures may have used different art styles and fonts, these numbers are not necessarily a direct indication of who made the crock. These numbers would either be painted or stamped on, or impressed into the crock. Should you be hoping to identify a crock by the cobalt blue painting alone, you would first need to familiarize yourself with each of the different manufactures and their chosen decorations.Ī number can be found on most crocks. Companies like Red Wing Stoneware, used several different hand drawn images, from leaves, to flowers, birds and butterflies, as well a swirling patterns and lines. These images, while not technically company logos, were used to help identify one company from another. As crocks were handcrafted by skilled potters, what a lot of manufacturers and potters did, was they would finish the crocks with their own hand painted patterns and images, prior to salt-glazing their wares. Most manufactures began to phase out hand painted images after 1896, replacing them with either stamped on or impressed designs.Īs mentioned above, up until 1810 most of the earlier crocks were hardly ever marked with either a production indicator, a manufacturer’s stamp, logo, or signature.When a country of origin (England or USA for example) has been indicated, the the crock would have been made after 1891.Should the word “limited”, or the abbreviation “Ltd”, be present, then the crock was made after 1861.If the name of the pattern used to decorate the crock can be found on the bottom of the crock, then this would mean that the crock was made after 1810.If there are no markings on the bottom, either written by hand or etched into the base, then the crock could have been made prior to 1810.Here is a quick reference guide for you to use, when you are trying to narrow down the age of your crock, look for one or more of the following indicators: Another way is to look for signs, or the lack there of, that would indicate when the crock could have been potentially made. To help alleviate some of these hassles, we will be going over some of the more popular methods that were used to mark crocks, how to find and identify them, as well as a few of the most recognizable marks.Īside from comparing an individual company’s logo and trademarks against any that may be found on your crock. Even then trying to read and understand these marks can be a challenge all of its own. Today this can make identifying a piece rather difficult for those of us who are not experts. There are some manufacturers that stuck with specific patterns during their early years of production others would only start marking their wares as technology and techniques improved. Instead, potters would hand paint their works with decorations featuring designs in cobalt blue. Earlier crocks were made by hand, and rarely if ever marked with an official stamp, name, symbol, or signature. Crocks are one of the hardest produced antiques to identify.
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