North Carolina Pottery

face jugs

Clay in North CarolinaEarly settlers to NC lived along the coast, and then began to move to the piedmont and the mountains.

Clay can be found in

all 3 regions of

NC.Depending on where

you find it, it may be

red, orange, yellow, gray,

brown or white.

Settlers used the clay they found to make the pots, jugs, dishes, and containers they needed.

Once factories began to make these things out of plastic and glass, pottery was viewed more as a type of art.

Potters started making things to be beautiful and interesting pieces of art, instead of just useful objects.

FACE JUGS

There are 3 main explanations for why potters began making jugs with these crazy, sometimes “ugly” faces on them.

1. It was something fun for potters to do so they didn’t get bored while they were making “normal” pottery.

2. Face jugs were made by slaves and were often used in place of tombstones. It was also believed that if the face on the jug was scary or ugly, it would keep the devil away.

3. Jugs were made with scary faces on them to keep children out of certain rooms and away from certain things.

Many NC potters make face jugs today. They are very popular with tourists in towns like Seagrove, which is famous for its pottery.

Ben Watford is a potter who lives in New Bern.

..\..\..\..\My Documents\My Videos\RealPlayer Downloads\NC NOW Ben Watford UNC-TV - YouTube.flv