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what were stoneware crocks used for

by Elenora Hamill IV Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Before the advent of refrigeration, crocks were used in American kitchens to hold foodstuffs such as butter, salted meats and pickled vegetables. The crocks were invariably made of stoneware, a durable, economical ceramic that remains water-tight, even without a glaze.Apr 20, 2002

Full Answer

What is stoneware used for?

Fine stoneware – made from more carefully selected, prepared, and blended raw materials. It is used to produce tableware and art ware. Chemical stoneware – used in the chemical industry, and when resistance to chemical attack is needed.

When did stoneware become popular?

"Proto-stoneware", such as Pingsdorf ware, and then "near-stoneware" was developed there by 1250, and fully vitrified wares were being produced on a large scale by 1325. The salt-glazed style that became typical was not perfected until the late 15th century.

How much is a large stoneware Crock worth?

This large stoneware crock with two handles and blue freehand design is 16 1/2 inches tall and has two 10-inch cracks and a few rim chips. Despite its flaws, this piece sold through Morphy Auctions for $240 in 2012.

What are the raw materials of stoneware?

The key raw material in stoneware is either naturally occurring stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. The mineral kaolinite is present but disordered, and although mica and quartz are present their particle size is very small.

Are old crocks worth money?

Collectively, antique stoneware crock values range from $500 to $400,000. However, actual antique crock selling prices depend on whether the crock has the iconic cobalt blue design.

What do you use stoneware crocks for?

Stoneware crocks have many uses from the traditional use of preserving vegetables like cucumbers for pickles and cabbage for sauerkraut to more decorative uses like containers for potpourri, candy, magazines, kitchen utensils, cookbooks, pens and pencils, or candles.

How can you tell if stoneware crocks are old?

0:301:14How to identify Stoneware Crocks by Dr. Lori - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPiece of stoneware a crock first of all Harrisburg Pennsylvania Dauphin. County is one of theMorePiece of stoneware a crock first of all Harrisburg Pennsylvania Dauphin. County is one of the premier. Places where you want your stoneware crocks why. Because this cobalt blue decoration is actually

What were large vintage crocks used for?

Large crocks, at least 20-gallon, were reserved for brining or curing meat after butchering. A brine was made of sugar, salt, and a small amount of salt peter or sodium nitrate, which was mixed into gallons of water.

What were 20 gallon crocks used for?

Large crocks, at least 20-gallon, were reserved for brining or curing meat after butchering. A brine was made of sugar, salt, and a small amount of salt peter or sodium nitrate, which was mixed into gallons of water.

What can you do with an old crock?

1:102:23Uses of Antique Crocks - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipUm rolling pins in them and stack them in here they make a great display that way. So there's aMoreUm rolling pins in them and stack them in here they make a great display that way. So there's a variety of different ways you can use these just on today on your on your kitchen. Counters.

How do you clean stone crock?

Cleaning Your Fermenting Stones/CrockScrub the mould off as much as you can.Put the stones in a pot with a few tablespoons of vinegar and hot water or fill the crock with vinegar and hot water (not boiling).Leave overnight.Rinse the stones/crock.More items...•

How can you tell if a stoneware jug is antique?

Identifying Antique Stoneware and Finding Comparable PricesA shiny, glass-like surface with occasional bumps (salt particles)Simple hand-painted decorations (usually cobalt blue ink)Decorations were handcrafted beneath the surface of the glaze.Hand-drawn or stenciled numbers and letters.

What is the most valuable pottery to collect?

A tiny Ru-ware brush washer has become the world's most expensive ceramic after it was sold at Hong Kong Sotheby's for a record-breaking price. The brush washer from the late Northern Song (960-1127) went to auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong this morning and the bidding started at HK$80m.

What were 15 gallon crocks used for?

15-gallon white glazed crock with trademark red wing decoration. Sold as utilitarian containers, Red Wing crocks were used both in the home and on the farm. Stoneware kept hot foods hot, and cold foods cold.

How much is a 50 gallon crock worth?

Answer: Tamara, if your dad's Red Wing 50 gallon crock is in perfect condition, the value is between $1700 & $2000. The lid with the damage is maybe $200 to $300.

How do you display a crock collection?

0:231:35How to Display Antique Crocks - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI have some that i put on top of my cupboards. I use them on top of my kitchen counters there's aMoreI have some that i put on top of my cupboards. I use them on top of my kitchen counters there's a number of different ways to display.

Why is stoneware so popular?

One of the reasons for the popularity of stoneware is that it distributes heat evenly when compared with other pottery types making it a favorite material for coffee mugs and tea cups! Colonial potters in the Americas took to salt glazing stoneware around the end of 18th century.

What is stoneware made of?

The term “stoneware” is a bit of a misnomer as it has nothing to do with stone. It is in fact made of a specific type of clay obtain ed from varied deposits found across different regions. Stoneware pottery is robust, nonporous and durable.

What technique did Hohokam use?

Hohokam potters of the Southwest America used paddle-and-anvil technique. The interior wall of a pot was reinforced by an anvil, whereas the exterior was beaten with a paddle to flatten the surface. Lot 88, An Exceptional Pennsylvania Free-Hand Cobalt Decorated 4 Gallon Crock.

What clay was used to make casing baskets?

To make the woven casing baskets durable, the tribal communities began lining them with mud clay. This is evident from archeological excavations of ancient clay pots, which revealed textures and indentions from a basket.

What is American folk pottery?

American folk pottery, including a vast variety of stoneware and crockerpots, is a slice of an enriching earthy experience. Just like other folk art forms, American pottery emerged from the utilitarian needs of everyday life. In North America, pottery began more than 1,000 years before its advent in Mexico.

Why did the pottery kilns shut down?

However, many of the kilns were compelled to shut down eventually owing to stiff competition from commercialization. The beginning of World War I and the following Great Depression were some of the other critical factors. Nevertheless, the stoneware pottery tradition has created a rich legacy of craftsmanship.

How to identify antique stoneware?

The best way to identify antique stoneware is with its rustic look and feel. The old stoneware often has a shiny surface, resembling glass, with tiny bumps of salt particles. Etchings in clay were done with cobalt blue color. Floral motifs, trees and birds were some of the most common depictions.

What is Flemish ware?

This type of stoneware design is also sometimes called Flemish ware, which is identified as silver-gray stoneware using dark blue embossed decoration. Flemish ware was often used for beer mugs, tankards, and wine jugs. In 2019, a similar-looking mug was on sale for $200 on eBay.

How tall is a crock?

This large stoneware crock with two handles and blue freehand design is 16 1/2 inches tall and has two 10-inch cracks and a few rim chips. Despite its flaws, this piece sold through Morphy Auctions for $240 in 2012.

What is spatterware?

Spatterware is a decorating technique that appears as if the paint was spattered or sponged onto the surface. It was sometimes used to decorate antique stoneware pieces. This particular lot included two pitchers, the largest of which was 11 1/2 inches tall. The pair sold together for $59 through Morphy Auctions in 2009. The blue pitcher had large chips on the top rim, and the brown and green pitcher had one small inner rim chip. In 2019, a single spatterware pitcher can go from $30 to $120, depending on its condition.

How much did a blue chicken crock cost in 2012?

A 5-gallon stoneware crock with blue chicken decor, this piece was in excellent condition at the time it sold in 2012 for $780. It had no cracks, repairs, or chips. At 13 1/2 inches tall, its two handles added to its value.

Where is Jones Pottery?

The Jones Pottery of Pittston, Pennsylvania, operated in the 19th century by Evan R. Jones and Evan B. Jones. It is unclear if this was a father and son duo or brothers. The approximate date of most of this pottery is 1880. The two most common marks on Jones's stoneware are "Evan R. Jones/Pittson PA. and Evan B. Jones/Pittson/PENNA.".

Where is the bird on a stump crock from?

Bird on Stump Stoneware Crock. A 4-gallon stoneware crock, this piece is from Pittston, Pennsylvania , and marked with the name Evan Jones. The artwork depicts a bird on a stump in blue. There was a crack on one of the sides near the handle that runs from top to bottom. However, it was still structurally sound.

What is stoneware?

Stoneware. Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non- refractory fire clay. Whether vitrified or not, it is nonporous (does not soak up liquids); it may or may not be glazed.

What is chemical stoneware?

Chemical stoneware: used in the chemical industry, and when resistance to chemical attack is needed. Purer raw materials are used than for other stoneware bodies. Thermal shock resistant stoneware: has additions of certain materials to enhance the thermal shock resistance of the fired body.

What is Staffordshire pottery?

A Staffordshire pottery stoneware plate from the 1850s with white glaze and transfer printed design. Visually this hardly differs from earthenware or porcelain equivalents. Stoneware can be once-fired or twice-fired.

What are the methods of forming stoneware bodies?

Methods of forming stoneware bodies include moulding, slipcasting and wheel throwing. Underglaze and overglaze decoration of many types can be used. Much tableware in stoneware is white-glazed and decorated, and it is then visually highly similar to porcelain or faience earthenware.

How hot can earthenware be fired?

Earthenware can be fired effectively as low as 600° C , achievable in primitive pit firing, but 800 °C (1,470 °F) to 1,100 °C (2,010 °F) was more typical. Stoneware also needs certain types of clays, more specific than those able to make earthenware, but can be made from a much wider range than porcelain.

What is Flintless Stoneware?

It is defined in the UK Pottery (Health and Welfare) Special Regulations of 1950 as: "Stoneware, the body of which consists of natural clay to which no flint or quartz or other form of free silica has been added.".

Where was pottery made?

Some German potters were probably making it in London in the 1640s, and a father and son Wooltus (or Woolters) were doing so in Southampton in the 1660s. Many modern commercial glazed tablewares and kitchenwares use stoneware rather than porcelain or bone china, and it is common in craft and studio pottery.

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Pottery in The Americas

Stoneware – A Staple of American Households

  • The term “stoneware” is a bit of a misnomer as it has nothing to do with stone. It is in fact made of a specific type of clay obtained from varied deposits found across different regions. Stonewarepottery is robust, nonporous and durable. Some varieties of modern stoneware can actually resist the heat generated in a microwave. One of the reasons fo...
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Pottery in America – Traversing Regions & Traditions

  • The migration of settlers expanded the production of pottery in America with many potter communities migrating from New England down into Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina.An ongoing exhibition at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Virginia highlights the folk art pottery of women and men whose artistic skills continue to inspire the con…
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Identifying Antique Stoneware Designs

  • The best way to identify antique stonewareis with its rustic look and feel. The old stoneware often has a shiny surface, resembling glass, with tiny bumps of salt particles. Etchings in clay were done with cobalt blue color. Floral motifs, trees and birds were some of the most common depictions. Another significant identification of its value and age is the maker's mark, which coul…
See more on bidsquare.com

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