Face Jug Makers

The face jug began to appear in these parts in the very early 1800s. In those days, self-sufficiency ruled and handmade, locally-crafted clayware was common. Our regional soils contain all the elements needed to make hardy clay and our forests plenty of wood for the fueling of kilns. Over the intervening years, the popularity of these face vessels has waxed and waned, but the tradition has managed to survive and even thrive. Today, face jugs are an eagerly sought-after and widely collected part of our mountain heritage. Wood-fired kilns remain the popular favorite, but there are some who experiment with gas- or electric-fired kilns, either for convenience, curiosity, or to achieve bright colors.

Humankind has been making pottery since time immemorial, for all kinds of utilitarian and spiritual purposes, but in a region like ours, where histories are often oral, tracing the origins of our traditions can be tricky. Face jugs are one of those traditions that are an amalgam of many cultural influences. The lore of the mountains tells us that the face jugs of this region were typically used as moonshine jugs and often included devil horns & snakes in order to scare children away from the alcohol stored inside, but that’s only part of the story.

Much older traditions, brought with enslaved Africans through the port of Charleston and spreading north and westward, saw pottery adorned with faces used as gravemarkers so that the soul of the dead could use the vessel as a portal to the next world, or at times buried at the foundations of a home to ward off evil spirits.

Whatever the influences they choose to follow, the potters we represent are pushing creative boundaries within the context of these rich traditions, keeping us interested and constantly surprising us with something new. We don’t always have pottery from every one of the extraordinary potters listed below, but we often do, so check back for new selections.

If you would like to get a heads up when new face jugs arrive or you would like to be informed when our Annual Face Jug Show is coming up, just call or email the gallery: 828-281-2134 or folkart@amerifolk.com

BEN J North began making pottery at a very young age and apprenticed with the great Apache potter Felipe Ortega. The pottery-rich culture of NC called out and inspired Ben to move here, build a wood-fired kiln and his artistic life. His pots are elegantly detailed, fully functional and retain the earthiness we love.

BRAD Ledbetter, a native of Lincolnton, NC, was steeped in the traditions of Catawba Valley pottery from an early age. Now based in Charleston, SC, Brad carries forward these traditions from his roots while drawing inspiration from the city around him and the role it has played in face jug history.

CARL Block fuses the bright joy of Mexican Folk Art with the traditions of Southern Face Jugs. A native Texan, Carl spent many happy hours vacationing in Mexico, which vividly revisits with every face jug he creates. Electric-fired earthenware, these jugs are food safe, but recommended to be used for serving, not for storage.

FELICIANO Abaurre originally hails from Argentina, where created functional pottery and Carnival-inspired ceramic masks. After moving to Georgia, he was introduced to the face jug tradition by his wife’s grandfather. His inspired mixture of pre-Hispanic motifs and interpretation of local folk pottery is a fresh addition to the face jug tradition.

JIM McDowell, known as the Black Potter, draws inspiration from the 19th-century enslaved African potters who created small face jugs for spiritual rituals & grave markers. He honors those early artists and also pays homage to his four-times Great Aunt Evangeline, an enslaved potter in Jamaica.

JOEL Huntley, a potter for 40+ years, hails from Wisconsin. As a student at Chicago’s Art Institute he was introduced to pottery and continued his studies at the Leach Studio Pottery in England. Ever since discovering the face jug tradition, Joel has been captivated. His faces capture a fine-tuned emotion and his beautiful glazes & decorations set them in a lane all their own.

MICHAEL Ball lives in Western North Carolina having studied in the Catawba Valley & Japan. He digs his stoneware clay materials in Catawba & fires using a wood-fired kiln. Mike’s face jugs are wildly expressive, each one unique in its facial features, fanciful flair, & mood.

MICHAEL Gates is a native North Carolina potter and a descendant of a German family synonymous with time-honored traditions: The Reinhardt Pottery. He is a sixth generation potter carrying on traditional techniques while adding his own inspired, world-traveled voice.

STACY Lambert studied the art of pottery under the guidance of Seagrove potter, Sid Luck. Like any smart apprentice, he learned the technical aspects of firing and glazing from the master, then began adding his own unique talents of painting and graphics to his original creations. His rich color pallet and his 3-D interpretations are as much fun as a potter ought to have.

STEPHEN Harrison draws inspiration from the great potters BB Craig and Charlie Lisk of the Catawba Valley and creates functional stoneware rooted in the deep folk traditions of North Carolina and the surrounding areas. He fires in a wood-fired groundhog kiln and predominately uses homemade alkaline glazes.

STEVE Abee, a native of Burke County, NC, is one of the Catawba Valley’s most talented & popular potters. He earned his potter’s credentials by building his own groundhog wood-fired kiln and is carrying on traditional southern pottery traditions by creating face jugs, digging his own clay, and mixing his own glazes.

TIM Whitten became enamored with folk art and face jugs when he relocated to South Carolina from Alabama. Around this time, his neighbor happened to be renowned face jug maker Marvin Bailey, who encouraged Tim to begin creating pottery himself. In 2010, Tim sat at a potter’s wheel for the first time, initially creating functional wares before being drawn back to the face jugs that had captivated him so completely.

VICKI Miller began her infatuation with clay as a hobby, but it soon evolved into so much more after years of relentless self-taught devotion. She works every day in her studio in South Carolina producing face jugs, roosters, and folk figures as well as tableware and vases. She currently fires in an electric kiln, but has plans to build a new wood kiln.

WALTER Fleming, a Presbyterian minister by day, has always been interested in rural tasks and early American craftsmanship. He developed invaluable relationships with well-known potters, such as BB Craig in the Catawba Valley, who inspired him to carry on the regional pottery traditions.

WAYNE Hewell, a fifth-generation potter & farmer in the mountains of Georgia, comes from a family well-know for their pottery for over a century. Wayne incorporates humor into his faces with pointy ears & cigars and is known for his swirl-ware, a process of combining two different clays into an amazing striped effect.

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Selected Works

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