Jug

Artist/Maker
Seagle, Daniel
Place Made
Lincoln County North Carolina United States of America
Date Made
1830-1840
Medium
Alkaline-glazed stoneware
Dimensions
HOA: 20 1/2″; WOA: 16″
Accession Number
5813.46
Description
Made in the Catawba River Valley of North Carolina, this jug is an example of a master potter’s work. It exhibits the bulbous shape and overall design he passed on to his apprentices such as Isaac Lefevers, as is the case with this jug. Many of Daniel Seagle’s pieces are recognized by his often-used “D.S.” stamp. Two strap handles were placed on the top of the shoulder on opposite sides of the jug. A strap handle is made by pulling or extruding a strip of clay, placing one end of the strip against the vessel, then looping it out to make the handle shape. The stoneware jug was thrown on a wheel and then covered with a uniform, dark alkaline glaze. Alkaline glaze is a mix of clay and ash or lime that acted as a flux.

MAKER: Potter Daniel Seagle’s family were early settlers in Lincoln County, North Carolina, arriving from Pennsylvania in the late 18th-century. Daniel Seagle (1805-1867) made both lead-glazed earthenware and alkaline-glazed stoneware, although very few of his earthenware pieces have survived. He likely trained under his father, Adam, who probably made lead-glazed earthenware. The kiln of Daniel Seagle was excavated in the winter of 1987-1988 by archaeologist Linda Carnes-McNaughton. Evidence from the kiln excavation gives a glimpse into the technical world of Seagle’s pottery making, as well as reveals the large cross-draft, or “groundhog,” kiln that Seagle used to fire his pottery.

Harpe, Jason and Brian Dedmond.”Valley Ablaze: Pottery Tradition in the Catawba Valley.” Conover, NC: Goosepen Studio & Press, 2012.

Nash, John. “”Daniel Seagle and James F. Seagle.” In POTTERS OF THE CATAWBA VALLEY, edited by Daisy Wade Bridges, Vol. IV of “Journal of Studies: Ceramic Circle of Charlotte,” 16. Charlotte, NC: Mint Museum, 1980.

Artist Biography
MAKER: The son of Adam and Eva Seagle, Daniel Seagle was born c. 1805. His ancesters came from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania briefly before moving to the Lincoln County area in the 1770s. Daniel Seagle’s pottery was established sometime between 1823 and 1825. By 1850, the business was thriving, and he was assisted by John Goodman and several apprentices. Seagle died in April, 1867 and apparently left no will since his personal belongings were sold at a two day sale on May 30 and 31, 1867. Following Seagle’s death, his son James Franklin Seagle continued the pottery’s work.
Credit Line
The William C. and Susan S. Mariner Collection