Potteries flourished in the southern states of Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas during the late nineteenth century. Craftsmen farmed during the warmer months, then spent the winter making storage containers to use and sell. Large preserve jars were used to store fruit, vegetables, meat, and lard, and were made from stoneware to keep the contents cool. Potters applied lug handles to the side of pots so they could be easily lifted or suspended, and a cork stopped up the mouth of the jar to preserve the food inside.
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
