Offered here is an exceptional, authentic piece of late 19th-century New England merchant history: a wheel-thrown, semi-ovoid brown stoneware jug complete with its highly rare, original brass holder and paper merchant label.

The jug features a classic, rich Albany slip glaze, producing a variable deep chocolate and metallic brown surface with authentic firing characteristics, including slip runs and localized iron spotting along the lower third of the body. It maintains its tight-fitting, heavily oxidized, original cork plug.

The primary historical significance of this piece lies in its preserved ephemeral hardware: a wire-wrapped brass merchant tag holder stamped "UNIFORM GRADES / LIGHT OF FORMOSA / OOLONG TEA CO." which houses a rare, double-sided paper merchant label. The label documents local commerce in Hartford County, identifying the retailer as H. M. Hackett of Suffield, Connecticut. The "Light of Formosa" brand represents the late Victorian fascination with high-grade imported Taiwanese (Formosa) Oolong teas, which were frequently distributed to rural merchants in durable stoneware vessels.

Origin & Age

• Geographic Origin: United States, locally retailed in Suffield, Connecticut

• Production Era: Late 19th Century (circa 1880–1895)

Condition Report

• Body & Base: The structural integrity of the jug is excellent, with a solid, stable base showing a clean, unglazed bottom face typical of kiln-sitting positions, with a chip as seen.

• Spout/Rim: Shows historic, expected chipping along the upper outer edge of the rim (visible in detail photographs), confirming heavy period use. No active structural cracks or spidering present.

• Hardware & Label: The original brass tag holder is intact with a dark, authentic, untouched green-and-brown verdigris patina. The paper label shows heavy stabilization, browning, and losses consistent with age, but remains completely legible for geographic and commercial attribution.

• Surface: Offered in "as-found," untouched condition with original patination and minor historic surface grime. It has not been mechanically cleaned or restored.

Authenticity Assessment

This piece is unequivocally authentic and dates precisely to the late 19th century. Evaluation of the key diagnostic markers confirms its period status:

• Glaze Character: The Albany slip application shows typical late-Victorian industrial/domestic variation, featuring characteristic pooling, subtle surface orange-peel texture, and an unglazed bottom rim displaying direct kiln-floor wire marks and slight structural imperfections from firing.

• Ephemeral Hardware: The brass holder exhibits natural, layered atmospheric oxidation (verdigris) that cannot be replicated synthetically without leaving signature chemical halos.

• Label Wear: The paper insert demonstrates uniform silverfish degradation, fiber browning from tannin migration from the adhesive layer, and historic grime trapped beneath the brass retaining tabs, verifying that the label has remained undisturbed within its fixture for over a century.

Reference

Book Title: Early New England Potters and Their Wares > Author: Lura Woodside Watkins

Page Reference: See discussions on late-period local distribution and the transition to commercial slip-glazed merchant jars on pages 232–237.

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Item Description and Condition Disclaimer

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