Mug

Art Historical Context

This unassuming redware mug, crafted between 1790 and 1840, offers a tangible glimpse into everyday life in early America. Measuring just 4 3/4 × 3 3/8 inches, it's a humble drinking vessel from the Arts of the Americas collection at the Art Institute of Chicago Redware, made from iron-rich clay that fires to a warm reddish-brown hue, was a staple of American potters during the post-Revolutionary era, prized for its affordability and durability in households across the young republic. Though the artist remains unknown, the mug exemplifies folk pottery traditions, where skilled artisans shaped...