attributed to French born potter Augustine Mareschal, Fairhope and Montrose Alabama, circa 1850's, salt glazes, ovoid jug, 9-3/4 in.; storage jar, 9 in.; straight sided jug 10-1/4 in., all pieces stamped "ALABAMA CITY, MARSHALL & CO....." with two indiscernible stamped lines or script, possibly with the words "NEW FARRIC" or "....FABRIC" and "WARRANTED"

Provenance: James E. Mulkin Collection, Bessemer, Alabama

Note: Augustine Mareschal and his family migrated to Mobile Bay's eastern shore from France between 1830 and 1840. He was likely one of the first potters in the area on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. He started with a pottery site in Fairhope and then moved north to Montrose. His pottery exemplified the European forms of his birth country contrasting with southern pottery forms of the period. He was also known to decorate pieces of pottery with cobalt blue slip, stamped "BAMA CITY". These are highly sought after rare examples. Photos of the two jugs in this lot are featured in the Alabama Heritage Magazine, Winter 1998, no. 7, pgs. 34 and 35. For more information on Augustine Mareschal and the Marshall pottery see the book Alabama Folk Pottery by Joey Brackner, pgs 77-88.

glaze voids and anomalies as made, surface abrasions, minor nics and chips to clay bodies, residue, base edge wear, ovoid jug with apparent restoration to entire handle, a series of abrasions above 1 in. clay body anomaly to lower body of jar, straight sided jug under glazed and underfired with small surface chip and wear, jar with illumination under black light to most of jar likely due to residue, no apparent restorations, small spider hairline on base, sheen to exteriors of ovoid jug and jar