Black Mountain

Lake Tomahawk July 24, 2024

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Pottery gift

 Our maintenance man, Barry, broke a favorite mug of mine on his first week on the job. I told him it was ok, I could probably buy another one since I knew the potter would be selling pots again at a show.

Barry said he was so very sorry.

Well a year or so later, he knocked on my door with what he hoped would be a replacement of the mug.









Much bigger than my mug, but stoneware, and signed from 1988 by whom?


I'm guessing Abrams. Do you have any other suggestions? 

There were several potters who came up on Duck Duck search. Is it Deighton Abrams? I wonder if he is old enough to have been making nice pottery in 1988...that's 25 years ago!

Here's his Bio:

Deighton is a ceramic sculptor, educator and is currently a staff member at The Ceramics Program at the Office for the Arts at Harvard University. He has taught at numerous institutions as an adjunct lecturer including Lesley University, Clemson University, Winthrop University, and Greenville Technical College. He completed his MFA in Studio Ceramics at Clemson University and his undergraduate studies Magna Cum Laude at Armstrong University (now Georgia Southern University) in Savannah, Georgia. He originally hails from the Far North of Alaska but has spent an equal amount of time in the Deep South of Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina.

So he definitely was in the area! Clemson, Greenville, are in South Carolina.

Bette Abrams pottery doesn't have any characteristics of this pitcher of mine.

Linda Abrams has a YouTube of trashcan fired pottery...which this clearly isn't. Doesn't mean she couldn't have also done a high fired stoneware at another time.

Though a Robert Abrams started a fund to finance "their kiln repair," I never found any pottery by him, nor his name listed as a potter.

So I'm thinking my dear pitcher is by Deighton Abrams in his early years...he now lives up in New Englad of course. And he's doing mainly sculptural pieces. Here's a link to his site. Nothing looks like my pitcher though!

Today's quote:

Whenever 'A' attempts by law to impose his moral standards upon 'B', 'A' is most likely a scoundrel. 

-H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)


19 comments:

  1. ...quite a detective story.

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  2. What a nice gift, I like the pitcher. The internet is great for searching. Take care, enjoy your day!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, I have great results, though sometimes not definitive, from Duck Duck Go searches.

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  3. What a lovely surprise gift from Barry. A very nice pitcher gift.

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    1. I have benefited from that accidental mug breakage...the most I could do for Barry (again) to say he's forgiven!

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  4. Whoever the potter was, it's a lovely shape and colour. A fine gift.

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  5. Replies
    1. I'm quite thrilled with it. And especially the story behind it of course.

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  6. That's a beautiful pice of pottery. I like the colour.

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    Replies
    1. It has some wonderful streaks, sometimes called rabbit fur, within that glaze...can only be seen on closer examination.

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  7. So nice! And a fun little mystery. I hope you get a definitive answer.

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  8. Nice piece. And that’s a great quote.

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  9. How nice of your maintenance man to replace the broken mug.

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So glad to have your comments...whatever they may be. I'm one who likes to reply sometime or another, so others will see that; or you might happen back sometime and see what conversation might have started.