Mugglies Inspired by Face Jugs or Ugly Jugs An African American Folk Art Tradition

History of Ugly Face Jugs Between 1810 and 1865, an abundance of functional pottery was produced in the remote Edgefield Potteries in South Carolina and sold to neighboring counties and states. Edgefield Potteries was worked in part by artisan slaves who turned the pots, pushed the wheels, carried the pottery and loaded the kilns. In their free time, some of the artisans made pottery of their own choice. Many of them chose to make jugs and pots now known as Face Vessels. These were often stoneware jugs modeled in the shape of human faces. They were most often alkaline glazed stoneware in simple, earthy tones. Though there are many gaps in historical data regarding the making, use and meaning of the face vessel pottery, there is no doubt that the vessels were original, functional artistic expressions of the African slave culture of the time. This all adds to the mystery of possible deeper meaning of the Face Vessels in the slave culture.  Few of the skilled potters who made Face Vessels have been identified by name and their inspiration for making face vessels is really unknown. Researchers speculate that the vessels may have had religious or burial significance, or that they reflect the complex responses of people attempting to live and maintain their personal identities under cruel and often difficult conditions. Face Vessels have been found along the routes of the Underground Railroad and on gravesites, both indicating how highly they were valued and how closely connected they were with the enslaved African American’s own culture. Text taken from: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/robin-face.htm

Original Face Jugs OBJECT NAME: Face Vessels MATERIAL: Alkaline-glazed Stoneware MAKER: Attributed to Black Slave Potters LOCATION OF MANUFACTURE: Edgefield District, South Carolina DATE OF MANUFACTURE: Mid-19th Century MARKS: None DIMENSIONS: 5" High X 3" Wide

Modern Ugly Jugs

Objectives Use slab construction to build the main form of the ceramic cup. Include a handle and a base. Use additive techniques to develop the facial features of your ugly mug. Create features that purposely out of proportion and grotesque. Create an expression!! Develop a relief surface, features should project off of the surface of the cup!! Create a muggly inspired by original face jugs.

Process Create three different sketches of muggly possibilities, remember expression and exaggeration of facial features. Roll out a slab using a rolling pen and two slab sticks that are the same thickness. Measure and cut your slab so that it is no taller than 6”. The length of the slab should be long enough to wrap around the diameter of a pool noodle. Get a pool noodle, wrap it with newspaper or newsprint. Tape the newspaper around the pool noodle. This will be the form that you use to create your cup cylinder. Carefully take your slab and wrap it around the pool noodle. Bevel the edges of your slab at forty five degree angles so that the edges of your slab fit together well. Slip and score together. Create a bottom to your cup by rolling out another slab, about ½” thick. Score the bottom of your cylinder. Place the cylinder on the slab that you formed. Cut around the bottom of the cylinder to make the form of your base. Score the top of your circular slab around the edges then apply slip and join your base to your cylinder.

Process continued….. Begin developing your facial features to add to your cup. Remember to hollow out any features that are much larger than the thickness of your thumb. Build up the surface of your cup to create an interesting muggly!! Exaggerate facial features to make them more pronounced. Begin using various tools, or additive techniques to add interest to your Muggly. Add a handle to the back or side of your mug. You should be able to pull a handle or form a handle similar to the way that you created handles for your vessel. Allow cup to dry (remember, drying time is at least seven days before firing!!!!) Place it on the drying cabinet. Once cup is fired glaze it. Using a paint brush apply at least three, up to five, coats of glaze evenly on the surface of your cup. Place your cup on the wares cart for final glaze fire. Complete your Muggly reflection. Turn your sketches in with your reflection. Use your scoring guide to self-assess your project. Turn your scoring guide, reflection, sketches, and project in together.

Gallery

Mouths open and teeth showing, Very EXPRESSIVE!!

Enlarged Features: Mugs by Josh Booke

Zombie/ skeleton cups by Micah Edge

Frank Sullivan Mugs

Exaggeration of Facial Features

Unique forms, with supernatural or animal characteristics

Student Examples

Mugglies: Slab Cups

Resources joshboock.com/facebmug.aspx/ http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/robin-face.htm http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/facevess.htm http://www.pawprintpottery.biz/face_jugs.html http://www.visitsoutherncomfort.com/potfacjugand.html