Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2020.FIC.059.A |
Object Name |
Mug |
Title |
Mercer Pottery Company "Flow Blue" Mug |
Description |
This dark blue, gold, and white cylindrical mug flares slightly at the bottom portion of the center. The mug is predominantly blue with a gold rim at both the top and bottom. Near the lower portion, several white leaves with gold outlines are featured, interspersed with gold horizontal zig-zag designs. Just above the flared section, there are a series of gold vertical lines of varying heights. Above these vertical lines, a long gold zig-zag line wraps around the mug, followed by a row of gold dots. The handle, located on the right side, is a combination of gold and white and is shaped like a half-heart. The top of the mug is open, revealing the interior, which is white, as is the bottom. A faint rim runs around the bottom, and near the center, there is a dark green Mercer Pottery Company logo. The logo is shield-shaped with a crown on top, and a sash running down the front of the shield reads "MERCER." Below the shield, a series of plus signs can be seen, and beneath it, the word "SEMI-VITREOUS" is inscribed. According to Edwin Atlee of the Trenton Historical Society, the Potteries of Trenton Society, and the book Mains and Fitzgerald's Trenton, Chambersburg, and Millham Directory, Mercer Pottery operated in Trenton from around 1865 or 1868 until either the 1930s or 1946. By 1875, James Moses owned the company and claimed to have developed the first semi-porcelain ware in the United States. Citations: Barber, E. A. (n.d.). Marks of American potters. Trenton Historical Society, New Jersey. https://www.trentonhistory.org/Made/Marks.html Mains, Bishop W. and Thomas F. Fitzgerald. 1877-1879. Mains and Fitzgerald’s Trenton, Chambersburg and Millham Directory: Containing the Names of the Citizens, Statistical Business Report, Historical Sketches, a List of the Public and Private Institutions, Together with National, State, County, and City Government. Bishop W. Mains & Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Trenton, New Jersey. Mercer Pottery. Potteries of Trenton Society. (n.d.-c). https://potteriesoftrentonsociety.org/research/records/mercer-pottery-2/ |
Year Range from |
1865 |
Year Range to |
1946 |
Material |
Ceramic |
Artist |
Mercer Pottery Company |
Height (in) |
3.500 |
Length (in) |
5.250 |
Diameter (in) |
3.500 |
Condition |
Good |
Condition Notes |
Overall: Paint fading, paint bleeding, and a few small accretions throughout. Front: The gold rim is faded Right Side: The gold paint on the handle is faded Back: The gold rim is faded. Also, there are small gold accretions all over the blue portion of the mug. Left Side: The gold rim is faded. There is a gold accretion on the bottom near the left side. There is a gold accretion on the bottom near the right side. Top: There is gold paint bleeding around the top of the inside. There is a yellow accretion on the inside near the handle. And finally, there are black accretions on the bottom of the inside. Bottom: There is wear around the rim. There is a blue accretion on the top of the logo. There is a yellow accretion right below the logo. There is a little bit of paint cracking on the center near the right edge. And finally, there is an abrasion directly to the right of the logo. |
Inscription Type |
Manufacturer's Mark |
Inscription Location |
Bottom, Center, Middle |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"MERCER" Line 1 "SEMI-VITREOUS" Line 2 |
People |
James Moses |
Classification |
Domestic Life/Household Goods Business & Commerce |
Subjects |
Ceramic industry Plants Water Plant parts Drinking vessels |
Search Terms |
Mug Blue Water Gold White Mercer Pottery Company Trenton 19th Century 20th Century John Moses Plants Leaves Flow Blue Crown Shield 1865 1868 1939 1930s Mercer County Ceramic Mercer Pottery Company "Flow Blue" Mug |
Provenance |
Found in collection |