19th-Century Eberhart Stoneware Jug & Jar
Appraised Value:
$6,600 - $8,800
IMAGE: 1 of 1
Appraisal Video:
Appraisal Transcript:
GUEST: My father's ancestors came to this country in the late 1700s as glassmakers.
APPRAISER: From where?
GUEST: From Germany. And they were in the glassmaking business for a number of years, and finally ended up with Albert Gallatin in New Geneva, Pennsylvania.
APPRAISER: When would that have been about?
GUEST: The glass factory opened in New Geneva in 1797, and it lasted only for about ten years. Frequently, the glass factories would burn because of the very hot furnaces. Time went by and members of the family changed to the salt glaze pottery, and have remained in New Geneva for most of the rest of this time. This pot was made by Adolph Eberhardt sometime between 1866 and '72. And a generation or so later, this pot was made by John Eberhardt, who was my grandfather.
APPRAISER: Stoneware down in that part of western Pennsylvania was a real center for it, and there were a number of other people, like your family... There must have been a lot of clay down there.
GUEST: Yes, as a matter of fact, the clay is still being taken from Adolph's farm, where this stoneware
APPRAISER:... today. The same clay that they used for this pot...
GUEST: Yes, mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: is being used today.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: Well, stoneware today is very hot. The large one like this, Adolph's, with the history and the fact that it's got double handles, as you can see here, that's a rare detail and all of the nice decoration on it. This particular jug here ought to be worth between $6,000 and $8,000. Hmm. The small one is worth a lot less, probably more like $600 to $800.
GUEST: What was this large jug used for, do you suppose?
APPRAISER: Storage of whisky.
GUEST: Whisky?
APPRAISER: And it probably was for some kind of distilled spirits.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: And the question might arise as to what the hole is on this ten-gallon jug...
GUEST: I thought it was...
APPRAISER: And that's known as a bung hole. And they would have put in...
GUEST: Put in a spigot?
APPRAISER: A spigot. It would have been on a tavern table or on a bar in the tavern, and you could just tap it out, like you would tap a keg.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Same kind of thing.
GUEST: Yeah, I had thought maybe it was used for vinegar...
APPRAISER: That'd be a lot of vinegar.
GUEST: That's a lot of whisky, too.
APPRAISER: That's right.
