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 utilitarian objects by hand on a potter's wheel or in molds, often glazing them with lead for a glossy finish. These pieces bridged the gap between necessity and subtle artistry, reflecting self-sufficient communities in regions like Pennsylvania or New England, where redware kilns dotted the landscape. Today, such mugs remind us of the unsung craftsmanship that sustained daily rituals—sipping cider or ale by the fireside—while highlighting the cultural roots of American ceramics. A quiet survivor of its time, it invites us to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary.