Extremely Rare Kingwood, Virginia (now West Virginia) Redware Shaving Mug, Dated 1850, cylindrical mug with footed base, heavily-ribbed strap handle, and applied cup at rim, the surface covered in a blackish lead-and-manganese glaze. Underside incised "E H / King Wood / 1850". While the identity of the potter, "EH", is currently unknown, the inscription on the underside indicates this mug was made in Kingwood, Preston County, Virginia in 1850. This piece represents the only example of redware from this city we have seen. Few signed or attributed redware objects from the state of West Virginia are known, the majority of which are a small body of work produced in Morgantown by Jacob Foulke and John W. Thompson, father of well-known stoneware producer, David Greenland Thompson. Another pottery, operated by Samuel Butter in Clarksburg, WV, approximately forty miles southwest of Morgantown, was active during the late first quarter and part of the second quarter of the 19th century. Butter, a Morgantown native, produced ware that reveals the influence of early Morgantown potters, Foulke and Thompson (see Horvath and Duez, "The Potters and Potteries of Morgan's Town, Virginia: The Earthenware Years, circa 1796-1854, Ceramics in America 2004). Kingwood is located approximately twenty miles Southeast of Morgantown, near the Western Maryland line. The mug does share some similarities in glaze and handle style to early Morgantown redware. Perhaps some link between Morgantown and Kingwood will eventually be made. Small chip to rim. Wear to rim of mug and attached cup. Glaze wear and a minor chip to handle. H 4 3/4".
