The tradition of pottery with faces dates back to Egyptian and Mesopotamian times and appears in many other cultures thoughout history. There are conflicting accounts, multiple stories, and varying theories about the 1st face jugs in the US. One account lists an unknown potter in Massachusetts as the creator of the 1st face jug in the US. Another account traces the 1st face jugs in the US to African slaves who worked on American plantations. One theory suggests that these early face jugs were used as grave markers by slaves. These jugs were supposed to ward off evil spirits. A South Carolina potter, who can trace his ancestors to slavery, states that "the idea was that the face jug would be ugly enough to scare the devil away from your grave so your soul could go to heaven."
6 comments:
I must have one someday.
This was a cool read. It’s neat to wonder who made the first one. Now I’d love to find one at a garage sale!
Been looking on ebay... I have Face Jug tastes with tin cup pockets.
Ditto.
This is cool!
Man, I'd love to have one of these!!!
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