Two Handled Pot
Manufacturer:
Meyer Pottery Co.
(founded 1887)
Date: ca. 1887-1920
Place made:Atascosa, Texas, United States
Medium: Salt-glazed stoneware
Dimensions:
h. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased from Mrs. Maxine Jennings
Object number: 73.136.4
Exhibition History: "VOLKSKUNST: German-American Folk Art from Pennsylvania and Texas," organized by San Antonio Museum in conjunction with the Reading Public Museum. Curated by Louisa D. Bartlett, Guest Curator of Arts of the Pennsylvania Germans at the Reading Public Museum, and co-curated by Nancy Fullerton, Assistant Curator of Latin American Art at the San Antonio Museum of Art. October 4, 2008 - January 18, 2009.
Label Text
MEYER POTTERY
The Meyer Pottery was founded in 1887 by Franz Schultz and his son-in-law William Meyer, German potters who immigrated to Texas in 1885. Both Schultz and Meyer had previously worked for the pottery of William Saenger, also a German immigrant, from 1885 to 1887. The Meyer venture was located in the Atascosa community of southwestern Bexar County, a region rich in clays and favored by a number of other pottery-making enterprises. Following the death of Schultz in 1889, the pottery passed to Meyer who expanded it into a thriving concern which continued operating until 1962. While the Atascosa area produced rich clays for the raw material of salt-glazed stoneware, special clays for slip glazes were brought from Albany, New York, which produced a smooth, shiny glaze. After 1895, the pottery used a unique slip for a glaze made of clay from the Leon Creek area which allowed for many variations in color and finish, ranging from yellows and browns to mottled green. The pottery produced mainly utilitarian wares rather than highly decorative pieces. Although it did make some machine-made pieces, the majority of the work was done by hand, resulting in a relatively limited output. The firm's clientele included not only the local San Antonio market but also ranged throughout the state of Texas.
(Label text, 2008 - Louisa D. Bartlett, Decorative arts consultant based in Mendenhall, Pennsylvania)
The Meyer Pottery was founded in 1887 by Franz Schultz and his son-in-law William Meyer, German potters who immigrated to Texas in 1885. Both Schultz and Meyer had previously worked for the pottery of William Saenger, also a German immigrant, from 1885 to 1887. The Meyer venture was located in the Atascosa community of southwestern Bexar County, a region rich in clays and favored by a number of other pottery-making enterprises. Following the death of Schultz in 1889, the pottery passed to Meyer who expanded it into a thriving concern which continued operating until 1962. While the Atascosa area produced rich clays for the raw material of salt-glazed stoneware, special clays for slip glazes were brought from Albany, New York, which produced a smooth, shiny glaze. After 1895, the pottery used a unique slip for a glaze made of clay from the Leon Creek area which allowed for many variations in color and finish, ranging from yellows and browns to mottled green. The pottery produced mainly utilitarian wares rather than highly decorative pieces. Although it did make some machine-made pieces, the majority of the work was done by hand, resulting in a relatively limited output. The firm's clientele included not only the local San Antonio market but also ranged throughout the state of Texas.
(Label text, 2008 - Louisa D. Bartlett, Decorative arts consultant based in Mendenhall, Pennsylvania)
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
