AFA 20th Anniversary

2020 Antiques & Fine Art 153 Burlon Craig was one of the first twentieth-century potters to revive the face jug tradition. He worked in a traditional manner during a time when many potters were converting to more modern electric kilns and purchasing clay rather than digging it themselves. Before he began making face jugs in the 1970s, Craig limited his production to useful wares. His use of blue slip and white clay for the decoration on this and other face vessels yielded stunning results: the body was covered in a deep blue slip; white clay placed in the eyes liquefied during firing creating streaks of white down the side of the pot as though the face is crying. The teeth are actually made of porcelain and show Craig’s ability to combine and manipulate different clay bodies in the same kiln. This spectacular piece is one of Craig’s earliest face jugs. Face jug, Burlon Craig (1914-2002), Vale, N.C., 1979. Ash-glazed stoneware and porcelain. H. 14 inches. Gift of Daisy Wade Bridges (2010.900.2).