PENNA. GERMAN POTTERS

THIS FORM OF POTTERY HAS BEEN PRODUCED SINCE THE EARLY18th CENTURY, IT CONTIUES WITHOUT INTERRUPTION UNTIL TODAY.   MOST OF THE EARTHENWARE WAS VERY UTILITARIAN.  IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY WAS REPLACED BY AGATE AND ALUMINUM AND A LOT OF FACTORY PRODUCED STONEWARE.  THERE WAS A LOT OF REDWARE FLOWER POTS ESPECIALLY DECORATIVE PIECES BEING MASS PRODUCED AT THIS TIME TO.

MUCH OF THE PA. GERMAN EARTHENWARE WAS RETRIEVED FROM THE TULPEHOCKEN. HENCE '' POTTERS OF THE TUPEHOCKEN''  WRITTEN BY LESTER BREININGER IN 1979.  HE IS A VERY LEARNED POTTER OF GREAT INTEREST AND A VERY LEARNED SCHOLAR WHO HAS TAUGHT ME MUCH OF WHAT I KNOW IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. 

IT IS IN PA. THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF SLIP DECORATED, SCRAFITTO SPONGED,  COMBED, SPLOTCHED, FEATHERED OR MARBLEIZED RANGES GIVE THESE VARIETY OF EFFECTS.  THEY WERE VERY LIMITED  WITH COLORS USING MOSTLY REDS, BROWNS, GREENS, YELLOWS AND BLACK.

CLAYS THAT WERE IMPORTED FROM NEW JERSEY WERE FIRED OUT WWHITE APPEARED YELLOW UNDER THE RED LEAD GLAZE. 

THE BEST TECHNIQUE OF ALL IS SCRAFFITO.  THE VESSEL IS DIPPED INTO THE COLORED SLIP OR IT IS POURED OVER IT AND WHEN SET UP A SHARP TOOL OR STICK IS USED TO SCRATCH AWAY THE CLAY BODY TO COME THRU.

THE MEDINGER-McALLISTER FAMILY REVIVED THIS METHOD. THE STAHL FAMILY DID THE SAME.  IT WAS ALMOST EXCLUSIVE TO PA. UNTIL OHIO, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN AND THE SOUTHERN AREAS FOUND A MEANS FOR INCOME AND HOME UTENSILS. 

WOMELSDORF HAS A LONG HISTORY OF POTTERS THAT WERE HIGHLY RECOGNIZED AND MUCH SOUGHT AFTER.  WILLOUGHBY SMITH  MARRIED INTO THE FEEG FAMILY AND DIGGING INTO THE TULPEHOCKEN CREEK BEGAN PROCESSING A VARIETY OF REDWARE PIECES FOR UTILITARIAN USES. 

OLEY VALLEY REDWARE FOLLOWED HIS GREAT GRANDFATHERS TRADITION AND HAS DONE THIS MORE FOR BEAUTY THAN USE.  GERALD YODER IS WELL VERSED IN QUALITY SCRAFIITO.