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James Henry Owen assisted in the construction of the first shop at Jugtown Pottery in Seagrove, established by Jacques and Juliana Busbee in 1921. Owen made wares for the Busbees from 1918 to 1923; this vase was made for the Busbee tea room in Greenwich Village, New York.

James Franklin Seagle learned to throw pots from his father, Daniel Seagle, who was one of the earliest potters in the Catawba Valley. When his father died, James Franklin took over the family pottery, eventually expanding it into a thriving business that at times employed as many as ten people.

Arthur Ray Cole had a great enthusiasm for form and color, and his kiln openings were famous for selling out quickly. His brother was Charles C. Cole, a potter who also ran the C.C. Cole Pottery in Moore County.

Charles C. Cole ran a successful pottery from 1937 until his death in 1967, specializing in decorative pieces for the tourist trade. After Cole died, his family continued to operate his pottery for six more years.

Dorothy Cole Auman, an eighth-generation potter, and her husband Walter, also a potter with roots in the Seagrove tradition, began their collection with a great interest in preserving the rich history of North Carolina ceramics. Dorothy’s research, archeological excavations, and accumulation of pottery details the region’s history from its eighteenth-century origins with German and English immigrant pottery, to the development of a functional ceramic industry in the nineteenth century, and the emergence of an art pottery tradition in the twentieth.

The family dynasties of North Carolina potters not only helped to keep the craft alive, but to ensure continuity in techniques and craftsmanship as well as introduce artistic innovations in succeeding generations. This jug manifests the New England roots of the Webster family. Its high shoulder, high belly, and narrow base are typical of eighteenth-century Connecticut jugs. Edward moved to North Carolina in 1819, and his brother Chester followed nine years later.

Charles C. Cole ran a successful pottery from 1937 until his death in 1967, specializing in decorative pieces for the tourist trade. After Cole died, his family continued to operate his pottery for six more years.

Arthur Ray Cole had a great enthusiasm for form and color, and his kiln openings were famous for selling out quickly. His brother was Charles C. Cole, a potter who also ran the C.C. Cole Pottery in Moore County. As the need for utilitarian vessels such as milk crocks, churns, and jugs waned, North Carolina potters adapted these forms for new uses and a new aesthetic. Brightly colored decorative wares were made that appealed to a more affluent public.

The Craven family is one of the most notable North Carolina potting dynasties, beginning with Peter Craven (circa 1712–1791), who moved to North Carolina around 1745. Fifth-generation Craven potter Jacob Dorris Craven was one of the most prolific potters in North Carolina, producing as much as 6,000 gallons of jugs, crocks, and pitchers a year. He partnered frequently with his brother Thomas Wesley, as manifested by this jug marked “J.D. & T.W. CRAVEN”. Two of Jacob’s sons also became potters. Little work survives from Thomas, since he lived only to the age of twenty-nine.

Daniel Seagle was one of the earliest potters in the Catawba Valley. Seagle excelled at throwing thin-walled, stoneware pots. He coated his vessels with an ash glaze comprised of water, clay, and wood ashes. When fired, it created a smooth, glassy surface on the finished works. The ash glaze tradition is particularly associated with Catawba Valley potters.

Himer Jacob Fox was part of the third generation of Fox potters in North Carolina, and he learned to turn from his father. The bands of incised decoration that Himer has employed so elegantly on this jug were a trademark of the Foxes.

The Craven family is one of the most notable North Carolina potting dynasties, beginning with Peter Craven (circa 1712–1791), who moved to North Carolina around 1745. Fifth-generation Craven potter Jacob Dorris Craven was one of the most prolific potters in North Carolina, producing as much as 6,000 gallons of jugs, crocks, and pitchers a year.

The Craven family is one of the most notable North Carolina potting dynasties, beginning with Peter Craven (circa 1712-1791), who moved to North Carolina around 1745. Sixth-generation Craven potter Isaac Franklin Craven was the son of Jacob Dorris Craven and brother to Daniel Zebedee, all potters. Isaac worked at his father’s shop in Moore County until he married. He then opened his own workshop in Randolph County. The old masking tape label on the side of this jug reads “Tar Bill Maness,” and the jug still contains tar and is coated with tar on its surface. Bill Maness was a local tar producer.

The Webster family had its roots in New England. When Chester Webster moved to North Carolina in 1828, he probably first worked as a potter for his brother Edward in Fayetteville before moving to Randolph County. Webster’s pots are often distinguished by their precisely executed incised decoration, as manifested by the fish and other ornamentation on this jug.

C.B. Masten has layered a cobalt blue glaze over a swirled body, achieving an effect not common in North Carolina pottery.

The Moravian settlement in Forsyth County was home to one of the first potteries in North Carolina. The community was first established at Bethabara in 1753 and later moved to Salem. The Moravians’ way of life was based on a simple faith in which daily labor, including—making pottery—was honored as a means of serving the Lord. Moravian wares were finely made, with good proportions and careful detailing. Slip-trailed decoration was common, as were molded forms with crisp, clear glazes. Gottfried Aust was born in Silesia (now part of Poland) and learned the potter’s craft in Herrnhut, a Moravian settlement in Germany. In 1755, he arrived in Bethabara, North Carolina, where he became that settlement’s first potter. He moved his shop to Salem in 1771.

Daniel Seagle was one of the earliest potters in the Catawba Valley. Seagle excelled at throwing thin-walled, stoneware pots. He coated his vessels with an ash glaze comprised of water, clay, and wood ashes. When fired, it created a smooth, glassy surface on the finished works. The ash glaze tradition is particularly associated with Catawba Valley potters.

James Franklin Seagle learned to throw pots from his father, Daniel Seagle, who was one of the earliest potters in the Catawba Valley. When his father died, James Franklin took over the family pottery, eventually expanding it into a thriving business that at times employed as many as ten people.

Burlon Craig probably made this vessel while working for the Reinhardt Brothers Pottery during the summer of 1936. Ten years later, when Burlon returned to the Catawba Valley after fighting in World War II, he bought the Reinhardt kiln and pottery shop to start his own business.

David Hartsoe (Hartzog) came to Lincoln County from Pennsylvania sometime before 1850. His family lived next to the Seagles, another important potting family. Two of David’s four sons became potters.

Arthur Ray Cole had a great enthusiasm for form and color, and his kiln openings were famous for selling out quickly. His brother was Charles C. Cole, a potter who also ran the C.C. Cole Pottery in Moore County.

Charles Maston, a dry cleaner and dyer from the Midwest, worked as a glaze master at the Auman Pottery during the summers. He had studied glazing techniques at a New York college in the 1920s. This vase shows the sophistication and skill that set his work apart from that which was produced at Jugtown or at other area potteries.

The Teague Pottery was established in 1928 by Bryan “Duck” Teague, part of a large family of potters in the Seagrove area.