The Wiggly Wonder: Gilded Age Mocha Jug With Psychedelic Earthworm Stripes

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Description

The Wiggly Wonder: Gilded Age Mocha Jug with Psychedelic Earthworm Stripes

Get ready to obsess over this rare and historically … Read more The Wiggly Wonder: Gilded Age Mocha Jug with Psychedelic Earthworm Stripes

Get ready to obsess over this rare and historically charged piece of English Mocha Pottery! This charming pearlware jug, dating from the early 19th century (circa 1800-1820), is a knockout example of the sophisticated artistry achieved in utilitarian ceramics.

Design & Detail:

This jug is a masterpiece of banded decoration. It features a classic, rounded form with a pinched spout, perfect for pouring ale or cider. The body is sectioned into seven alternating bands of smooth light blue slip and crisp white ground, all separated by fine, dark red-brown lines.

The showstopper is the 'Earthworm' decoration. The blue panels are exuberantly adorned with a tri-colored, flowing, ribbon-like pattern in a vibrant and unusual combination of blue, yellow, and white slips. Unlike painting, this 'Earthworm' design is the result of a spontaneous chemical reaction, where a pigmented slip reacts with an acidic agent, causing the stunning vermicular lines to spontaneously burst and spread.

Dimensions: 7 inches high x 9 inches wide x 6 1/2 inches deep.

Historical Context: High-Fashion Utility Ware

This jug is made from pearlware, a refined earthenware developed in the late 18th century. Its clean, slightly bluish-white glaze provided the perfect canvas for the bold slip decoration.

Mochaware (or Mocha Pottery) was mass-produced, primarily in Staffordshire, from the 1780s onward. It takes its name from mocha stone (moss agate) due to its similar organic, dendritic patterns. Though affordable and built for rugged, everyday use in taverns and humble homes, the complex, unrepeatable nature of the mocha decoration elevated the ware from simple utility to folk art. The exceptionally fine, multi-colored 'Earthworm' effect on this jug demonstrates the height of the potter's skill, making it a desirable collector’s item that graced tables in both Georgian England and early America.

(Ref: NY10654-pckr) See less