Wheel thrown, hand sculpted Face Jug. hotsell Just a friendly face to brighten your day. (FJ6)

This Face Jug is made out of stoneware clay and was wheel thrown, sculpted, slip trailed, glazed and then fired to ^6 by Lucky Stradley (that would be me). Don't you just love the expressive eyes? I think they might just be the best quality. Face Jugs have a long and interesting history in the southern parts of the USA. This genre of Folk Art is highly collectible. hotsell This Face Jug could also be used as a bud vase. His name is "Shavar".

The tradition of pottery with faces dates back to Egyptian and Mesopotamian times and appears in many other cultures though out history. There are conflicting accounts, multiple stories, and varying theories about the 1st face jugs in the US. One account lists an unknown potter in Massachusetts as the creator of the 1st face jug in the US. Another account traces the 1st face jugs in the US to African slaves who worked on American plantations. One theory suggests that these early face jugs were used as grave markers by slaves. These jugs were supposed to ward off evil spirits. A South Carolina potter, who can trace his ancestors to slavery, states that "the idea was that the face jug would be ugly enough to scare the devil away from your grave so your soul could go to heaven."

It would certainly make a great piece to add to your collection (hint) or as a gift (hint).

This listing is for the actual item pictured here.
If there is a group photo, then it is just for size comparison.

Dimensions (approximate)
6 7/8" tall
4 3/4" wide

Someone please buy this piece. My husband says there are too many faces in our studio. It makes him nervous. And the neighbors (all 50 of them) keep asking..." When are you ever going to make something pretty?" I answer... "This is as pretty as it gets." If you are the one to adopt this cute fella, you will have Something Lucky.

Everything we sell is produced in our studio in Hubbell, NE (population...52). Every piece is an Original One OF A Kind.

A Note About Our Pictures: We do our best to take accurate pictures of every item, but bear in mind that lighting conditions and monitor calibration can change the appearance of colors. If you have a question about what you see, please contact us before you make a purchase.

International Customers: We will ship anywhere! Just send us a conversation and we'll work out the details.