Jugtown Chinese Blue Vase

Jugtown vase, Chinese Blue mottled glaze on top and sides with unglazed bottom. 

Condition: Excellent

Material: Stoneware

Period: 20th century

Dimensions: 5.75"H x 4.25" diameter

Inventory# V7940

Jugtown Pottery (Seagrove, NC) began in 1917 when Raleigh artists Jacques and Juliana Busbee discovered an orange pie dish at a county fair they traced back to the Pinehurst, NC area. From there, they found the local tradition of making utilitarian pottery in orange, earthenware, and salt glazes. In hopes of preserving the dwindling craft, they set up shop in New York's Greenwich Village and hired NC potters to fill orders for customers. Jacques brought a fine arts sensibility to the work, developing his “Chinese Blue” glaze and introducing Oriental-influenced forms alongside traditional Southern utilitarian wares—a combination that made Jugtown pieces sought after by collectors. Notably, Ben Owen Sr., one of North Carolina’s most well know potters, honed his craft at Jugtown, later leaving to establish his own pottery under the Ben Owen Master Potter name. The Jugtown Museum was opened in 1988, and Jugtown Pottery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.