Collecting Southern Pottery: Burlon B. Craig
Southern antique stoneware is highly sought after and prized by collectors. There are many different features that collectors look for, such as the maker, the region, as well as certain pieces such as jugs, bowls, pitchers or face jugs.
Catawba Valley pottery, made in the Catawba River Valley of Western North Carolina, is a seminal place for Southern pottery. German immigrants and German-American descendants settled in the Catawba Valley in the late 18th century as farmers, and they brought their pottery-making tradition with them. Face jugs are some of the most unique and popular pieces of southern pottery, and their history extends back to slaves who made such pottery in the Edgefield region of South Carolina.
Burlon B. Craig of Vale, North Carolina, was one of the last of the North Carolina potters to work in alkaline glaze. The advent of refrigeration and mass production nearly ended the centuries-old pottery tradition. Craig is credited with revitalizing Catawba Valley pottery.
