Tortoise Shell Bowl

Tortoise Shell Bowl

South, Stanley A.

Archaeology.

Wachovia (N.C.)--History.

Artifacts.

Pottery.

Moravians.

Christ, Rudolph, 1750-1833.

This reconstructed, delicate redware bowl is decorated in a tortoise shell glaze. The red clay body was coated in white slip and fired. After firing, a mix of copper oxide, manganese, and clear glaze was applied to produce the polychromatic tortoise shell finish.

In 1773, William Ellis arrived in Salem and offered to teach Gottfried Aust how to make English Staffordshire-style earthenware in exchange for clothing and lodging. Ellis had been the superintendent of John Bartlam’s China Manufactory and Pottery in Charleston, SC. While Aust chose to continue producing the more traditional wares, his apprentice Rudolph Christ began producing finer wares influenced by the English Staffordshire-style.

This bowl was recovered from feature B55, Christ’s Waster Dump #2. This likely broke during the final firing. Christ operated his pottery shop in Bethabara from 1786-1789.

The pieces of the bowl are marked with B55-C15-1-55 and B55-C16, indicating where each piece was recovered the dump.

Dimensions: 8” dia, 3.25” tall

Christ, Rudolph, 1750-1833

1786-1789

Physical Object

JPEG

2018.2.32

OC2-Historic Bethabara Park Archaeology Collection Exhibit

Historic Bethabara Park Archaeology Collection

Stanley South Manuscript Collection Box – Folder 4-68

Stanley South Manuscript Collection Box – Folder 4-10

Stanley South Manuscript Collection Box – Folder 8-12

Rights held by Historic Bethabara Park, Inc. Use and reproduction restrictions apply. Contact Historic Bethabara Park Archives.

Photographer: Daniel Ferguson

Historic Bethabara Park, Inc.