Antique Stoneware Pottery | Antique 19th Century Redware Side Mouth Butter Churn 3gal Pottery Stoneware RARE

Antique 19th Century Redware Side Mouth Butter Churn 3gal Pottery Stoneware RARE

This is an exceptionally rare and truly unique, handmade redware pottery churn, that is likely worthy of being a museum piece. It is unique in that it is a horizontal / side opening style, and has two handles near one end. Aside from evidence of use and wear, it is in great overall condition. It has a fairly high gloss medium brown glaze, with somewhat of a drip glaze appearance. The clay is mostly reddish in color, similar to that of terra-cotta, but also seems to have a medium gray color partly as well. It is semi-vitreous, similar to that of stoneware, with a texture that is also similar to stoneware. It was quite obviously handmade, requiring a high level of expertise to make, however there is an element of crudeness to it, as if its purpose was purely utilitarian, not decorative. It is not marked, and my research didnt find anything to offer a great deal of certainty, but I believe it may be from southern or southwestern USA, or perhaps Mexico. Im also uncertain of its age, but my guess would be late 1800s or early 1900s, but quite possibly earlier. It was likely used as a churn to make butter or cheese, or perhaps a food storage vessel of some variety. It also couldve been used for preparation of a specific food, or for pickling or fermenting. It must have had a large cork, as there is no threading or means of attaching a cover, and it appears it was intended to stand upright, which gravity would prohibit use of a lid like a stoneware crock would have. The closest clay piece I could find to it is a Middle Eastern horizontal churn with a similar side opening, that is used to make butter, either by rocking, or spending by a rope and moving back and forth to separate butter fats. So it could feasibly be Asian or Middle Eastern. Overall condition is very good, there are no cracks, and no chips of any real substance, however it is obviously been a utilitarian piece that has seen a fair amount of use, evident by the glazing that has worn off mostly on the side opposite the opening. The wear on that side also supports its use as a churn, as it has probably been rolled quite a bit in order to wear as it has. There are other minor marks and very small chips from use, but please see pictures closely and carefully, as they are part of this description. Please note that my description when referring to the age, origin, and function of this piece is somewhat speculative. My experience with antique stoneware etc. Allows me to make an educated guess, but it is not necessarily to be considered fact. This piece is rare enough that I just simply dont know for sure, and Im offering my opinion having studied and researched the best I can. Standing upright, it measures 19 tall, 9 in diameter, and 11 deep from the mouth opening to the back. It is fairly heavy at approximately 14 pounds, and has just under a 3 gallon capacity. A wonderful and truly unique piece, and a great addition to any stoneware or antique pottery collection. Unlikely youll ever find another one like it. The item “Antique 19th Century Redware Side Mouth Butter Churn 3gal Pottery Stoneware RARE” is in sale since Friday, March 20, 2020. This item is in the category “Antiques\Decorative Arts\Ceramics & Porcelain\Crocks”. The seller is “tjl1_9940″ and is located in Bow, New Hampshire. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Dominican republic, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, El salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Montserrat, Turks and caicos islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Viet nam, Uruguay, Russian federation.