Pitcher 1814 - 1828

Editor: Here we have a stoneware pitcher, crafted between 1814 and 1828 by Peleg Armstrong and Erastus Wentworth. It’s a humble, functional object, and yet there's a quiet beauty in its simplicity. How do you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: Well, first off, think about its intended use: serving liquids, probably water or cider, in a pre-industrial American home. These were objects made and used in communities still heavily shaped by legacies of indentured servitude and, of course, slavery. How might the simple act of pouring from this pitcher have been implicated in power dynamics of the time? Who would have been doing the pouring, and for whom? Editor: That’s a chilling thought, one I hadn’t considered looking at the object’s design. So, even a seemingly innocuous object can reflect complex social inequalities? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the labor involved. Who mined the clay? Who shaped it? Were they paid fairly, or coerced? Everyday objects carry the weight of these histories. Editor: And what does it tell us about the ideals of beauty during this time period? Is there a statement here about cultural identity? Curator: The focus on function over ornamentation speaks to a certain practicality valued in early America. At the same time, the very act of embellishing the pitcher with stripes is itself an important consideration; to make art that is more than a functional container invites questions about class. I wonder about the owners of this object: were they participating in an evolving definition of “American” identity? Editor: It’s amazing how much we can unpack from one pitcher. Thank you! I'll never look at these objects the same way again. Curator: And hopefully, consider how their shadows still touch our present.